Circumstances
by tyro12
Summary: Harry Potter begins his sixth year at Hogwarts by rescuing a girl he's never met before. Rated M for violence and lemons. Ron&Ginny Bashing, some Dumbledore bashing. HPDG, with a bit of HPTD, AU grey!not-helpless!more-suave!Harry.
1. On the Train

Chapter 1: On the Train

A/N: Fixed some of the things people have pointed out, thanks to Teufel1987 for first pointing out a stupid mistake. Also, I tweaked Daphne a bit so she's not a whiny little girl, or at least less so.

Harry Potter stepped through the barrier towards platform 9 and 3/4, with Mad-Eye Moody and Nymphadora Tonks hurried to cancel the Disillusionment charms that had been hiding them as they traveled through Muggle London. He was not happy, rather morose actually as he approached one of the cars of the Hogwarts Express, pushing his trolley parallel to an entrance, and dreading the beginning of his 6th year.

"Well, lad, this is as far as we go," said Moody, clunking to a stop beside Harry. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about Sirius. He was a good man, and…" Moody paused, not knowing how to continue.

"-and he would've wanted you to live vicariously in his place!" Tonks stepped in, her hair shifting in colour from pink to orange and finally a neon green as she looked at Harry. "Take up his legacy, Harry! Prank the living crap out of everyone, and land some women in your bed, for crying out loud," Tonks winked at him. Harry couldn't decide if he should look mortified, scandalized, or smile brightly at her. He decided that being negative and rude won't do anyone any good, and thanked Tonks for her own two cents. Knuts.

"See you at Christmas!" both Order guards shouted as he dragged his trunk up the few steps and into the corridor. The doors of the Express closed shortly, and Moody and Tonks disappeared from sight. Harry began to lift up his trunk to look for a compartment, when he cursed quietly and realized that, now being on the train, he could do magic freely without fear of a Ministry owl swooping in with a letter. He shrunk his luggage, put it in his pocket, and began walking down the aisle. Most of the students had already taken their seats, so it was just him, trying to peer into every compartment, though most of them had the blinds drawn over the small window in the door. As he checked one of the doors, he heard a loud thud and a feminine grunt coming from one of the compartments he had just passed that had its blinds drawn and the door locked. Harry moved back to the door, and listened.

"-get away from me, Malfoy, or I swear I'll-"

"You'll what? I have your wand, and soon, I'll have you! All of you," Harry heard Malfoy say, he could almost hear the shit-eating grin he must've had on. It sounded to him like he was preparing to… do some vile things to a girl whose voice Harry had never heard before. It took a scream from inside the compartment for Harry to decide to act on his brash Gryffindor instincts. He quickly cast _Alohamora_ at the door, and slid it open. Sure enough, there was Malfoy with his back to him, pointing his wand into the face of a girl in Harry's year, a Slytherin if he wasn't mistaken. She had black hair done up into a knot, and light blue eyes, that were opened wide in fear of what was inevitably coming from the end of Malfoy's wand.

"_Diffindo,_" Malfoy cast as Harry shouted "_PROTEGO_" and a shield appeared over the girl, and the charm splattered harmlessly it. Malfoy whirled around, and began to cast another spell when Harry calmly Disarmed him and pointed his wand in his face.

"_Expulso_," Harry spoke, and Malfoy slammed backwards into the window of the compartment, cracking it severely. The girl flinched and jumped to the side to avoid the flailing body. Malfoy tried to get up, but Harry was already there. "Give me a reason, and I will melt your face." Malfoy flinched, but didn't move otherwise. "I know roughly what you were about to do, and I swear on the graves of my parents if you ever come within 20 feet of her again, I'll flay you alive. I don't know the spell for that, but I'll find it. Just. For. You." Malfoy's eyes widened almost comically, and under different circumstances, Harry would've laughed. He looked Malfoy in the eye, and with his wand indicated towards the door. Malfoy struggled to his feet, picked his wand up off the floor, and scurried out like the coward that he was. Harry watched him leave, slid the door closed and sealed it magically, as well as adding a Silencing Charm to it. He then realized that he had forgotten about the girl behind him, and turned slowly to face her. She looked at him bravely, but he could see she was shaking. Harry flicked his wand, and the window returned to its previous pristine state.

"Do you mind if I sit?" Harry sighed, and the girl gave a small nod. She opened her mouth, but couldn't find anything to say. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so…" She whispered, not too sure herself. "Th-thanks. For…" she nodded towards the door.

"Oh, uh… No, no problem. Are you sure you're not hurt?" Harry asked, noticing for the first time a large bruise on her cheek. He frowned, stood up, and pointed his wand at her face. She cringed and tried to cover herself with her arms. "It's okay, I'm just going to heal that," Harry said softly. She slowly removed her arms, and looked up at him. "_Episkey_," he cast, and the bruise disappeared, as if it had never been there. "There, that should do it." He kneeled and sat down beside her on the floor, their backs leaning against the seats.

"I'm Daphne Greengrass," the girl said in a low voice.

"And I'm… well… should be pretty obvious" Harry shrugged, and she gave a light smile before reverting to her previous expression. Taking a deep breath, she began to speak.

"Thank you for what you did. He snuck up on me, I wasn't expecting anyone to come in. If you hadn't been here, he would've-" and Daphne could no longer hold it in, and began to cry softly. Harry became alarmed and panic-stricken, having a pitiful amount of experience with girls. He quickly conjured a handkerchief. It came out in Gryffindor colours, so he threw it to the floor it and conjured another one, this time it was silver and green. He used it to gently wipe her tears away, as her crying lessened gradually. She noticed the handkerchief Harry had conjured and began to chuckle, seeing the first attempt on the floor. It soon turned into full-blown laugh that Harry could swear lasted at least five minutes. She finished laughing at looked at Harry, who had been staring at her fascinated for the last little while. "I'm sorry, I'm being terribly strange!" Daphne said as she lifted herself into a seat and motioned for Harry to do the same.

"S'all right, I've been terribly strange all my life. It's an affliction" Harry chuckled, enjoying his private joke as Daphne blinked. "Anyway, I've got to get to my friends, they'll be wondering where I am."

"Oh! Oh, yes, I suppose you're right," Daphne said, looking disheartened. "Well, thanks again for before." Harry looked at her, noting that she had become sad again, and made a decision that would later change his life.

"Uh, would you like to come along?" Daphne looked up, her eyebrows raised. "You could come sit with me and my friends. I bet Ron would wet his pants seeing you walk in with me" Harry winked at her. "Especially considering how attractive you are" Harry smiled a mischievous smile. Daphne turned slightly red and her eyes widened.

"With GRYFFINDORS? They'll eat my head!"

"No, it'll be all right. Besides, you shouldn't be alone after something like that." Daphne looked sad again, so Harry stuck out his hand, offering it to her. She took it and let him pull her out the door, after he cancelled the charms protecting it. They walked down the aisle, passing a Hufflepuff that Harry did not recognize. They stopped in front of the compartment that Harry knew contained Ron and Hermione. He looked down, and realized he had not let go of Daphne's hand, a fact that she also seemed to become aware of, as she blushed once again and pulled her hand out of his grasp.

"Sorry," she mumbled. Harry chuckled, and grabbed her hand again.

"I was enjoying that," he smirked. She turned bright red, but had no time to comment as Harry slid the door open. As he had predicted, Ron and Hermione began to yell at the same time.

"Harry, we-"

"Where HAVE you been-"

"Oh," they both noticed Daphne standing beside him. Hermione blinked, and Ron became quickly angry.

"Harry what are you doing with that snake!" Ron hissed.

"Ron." Ron continued to babble about how evil Daphne was, You-Know-Who was probably already on his way to capture Harry, and an army of Death Eaters is waiting in the next car to take him in once Daphne hits him with enough curses. "RON!" Harry yells over one of his best friends. "Her name is Daphne Greengrass. Use it. And I brought her here, because I want her to sit with us. If you don't like that you can leave. Hermione, if you have a problem with her too, then we can find another place to sit." Hermione's eyes widened, and she began to sputter.

"What! I said no such thing. RONALD! Shut up! You're so unbelievably rude, I don't know why I put up with you!" Ron looked indignant.

"I'm not sitting with a Slytherin," the red-haired boy spat, storming out the door. Harry pulled Daphne down onto the seat.

"Hello Hermione, how are you?" he smiled at the best friend of his that remained. "This is Daphne Greengrass. I brought her along because… well, she's just been through a rought time, and I didn't think she should be alone at the moment." Harry's expression darkened.

Hermione frowned. "Hello, I'm Hermione Granger. What happened?"

"It was Malfoy, he cornered me in my compartment and tried to- tried to…" Daphne seemed close to breaking down again, so Harry finished for her, starting from how he had heard a noise coming from a locked compartment. Hermione paled, then looked appalled, and finally enraged by what she heard.

"-and then I came in, cast a shield over Daphne, and banished him into the window. It didn't break, but I wouldn't have minded that much. Doing the world a favour, I would've been." Harry smirked.

"That's horrible! I can't believe he would do something like that! We have to tell Professor Dumbledore about this," Hermione said, entering her bossy mode.

"NO!" Daphne sat up straight, looking worried. "No one else can know, that's not the way it works in my house. Besides, I rather think I can exact my own revenge." Harry's brows knitted together and Hermione eyes nearly popped out of her skull.

"I think she's right, Hermione. It would be my word against Malfoy's, and that's not enough to get him chucked out. But," Harry said, turning to Daphne, "if he tries anything again, let me know, I'll kill him on principle. Or I can at least help with whatever plan you cook up to humiliate him" Daphne nodded, thanking him. At that point, the door slid open and Ron poked his head in, seeing Daphne and looking like had had eaten something rotten recently.

"Hermione, can I talk to you?" Hermione agreed, and left with Ron. Harry didn't say a word to him, a sentiment that the other boy returned with another nasty look at the Slytherin.

"I'm sorry about Ron, Daphne. He's not all that… open-minded."

"Oh, that's all right. I'm used to it. Been in Slytherin long enough" she answers casually, rolling her eyes. Silence takes over the room, neither knowing what to say. Suddenly, Daphne smiled, and turned to Harry. "I've never had a friend in Gryffindor. What's it like to be a lion?"

Harry smirked, deciding right away that living life like Sirius is a much better alternative than as the brooding boy he had become over the years. "So we're friends, are we Miss Greengrass?"

Daphne blushed. "I, um, I…" she stammered.

"I'm joking, keep your shirt on," Harry laughed, but then appeared to fall deep in thought. Daphne just looked at him. "Or don't," he said, raising an eyebrow daringly.

She just stared at him. "I didn't know you could flirt, Mr. Potter." She smiled slightly, trying to keep calm.

"I can do a lot of things," Harry said softly, leaning in a bit closer to her face, as she blushed slightly. Suddenly he stood up. "Wouldn't you like to know," he laughed again. Right on cue, the food trolley rolled up and the door slid open.

"Anything from the cart, dears?" Harry asked for some Sugar Quills for himself, and then stared pointedly at Daphne.

"Just a cauldron cake, please," she said to the plump old witch as she pulled out her money pouch. Harry was quicker on the draw, and gave the woman a galleon for everything after telling her to give them three cauldron cakes, not one, as well as two Butterbeers.

The woman looked at Harry, embarrassed. "I'm afraid I haven't got change for a Galleon."

"That's all right, keep it," Harry shrugged. The woman thanked him profusely and slid the door shut.

"Thanks, but you should've let me pay! I have money! And why'd you buy three?" Daphne said to him as she took one of the cauldron cakes off the seat beside Harry.

"You're welcome, no I shouldn't have, yes I know you do but I have, unfortunately, much more, and I bought three in case you wanted one more, one is for me," Harry said to her, smiling.

"What do you mean, you unfortunately have more money than me?" Daphne asked, confused.

"Well, I inherited two vast fortunes as compensation for my lack of family. One from my parents, and one from my godfather, who recently died at the Ministry" Harry said, a sad look now squarely on his face.

"Oh. I'm sorry, that was rude of me-"

"No, no, it's all right. It's not your job to know. Well, hey, since we're _friends_ now," he dragged out the word, "maybe we can get to know each other this year." Harry laughed at Daphne's indignant but smiling face.

"Yes, I think I'd like that. Now, um, we're just about to get to Hogsmeade, so I need to go find my sister and get changed, but… Thank you. Oh and... keep it a secret. If you mess up my Ice Queen persona, I'll wring your neck." She kissed him quickly on the cheek, blushed, and ran out of the compartment, leaving Harry rubbing his cheek, trying not to make a big deal out of his new friend.

...

A/N: Read and review, say anything you like, I'm a big boy, I can handle flames as well as constructive criticism. And THANKS for the reviews, there's helpful stuff and food for thought in there.


	2. Off the Train

Chapter 2: Off the Train

A/N: Here's chapter 2. I personally have always disliked Ron, yes, he IS a twat, I think. I'll be bashing the dickens out of him for at least a few more chapters, I'm not sure if he'll become an arsehole permanently. Ginny will also receive the bashing she deserves. I hated the Harry and Ginny thing in HBP. I mean, sure, maybe I understand him not trying again with Cho, that was complicated by Cedric's rotting corpse hanging over every conversation, his decaying hand hitting Harry in the face every time there was a breeze, but Ginny? That's ridiculous. She's been "Ron's little sister" all this time.

The Golden Trio stepped off the train in silence. Ron looked as though he was seconds away from having a coronary, Hermione was pale, and Harry was still deep in thought over the black-haired Slytherin, Daphne Greengrass.

Hagrid's booming voice snapped him out of his reverie. "Firs' years over here!" Harry blinked. The trio began moving towards the carriages.

"What's going on, Ron? You look like you're about to blow a gasket," Harry asked.

"Blow a what?"

"Never mind that, what's going on?"

"Nothing, I'm just in a weird mood…" Ron looked up at the darkening sky.

"Do you remember when Hermione told you you have the emotional range of a teaspoon? It turns out you can lie about as well as one too." Harry smirked, but Ron's ears turned red at Hermione's name, and he began to walk briskly toward a carriage. There were no seats left as Ron took the last one, beside Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, and Lee Jordan. Harry frowned, stopped walking, and turned to Hermione, waiting for the next carriage to roll up.

"What's going on? He wasn't like this on the train." Hermione began to study her shoes in great detail, noting the pattern of the rubber, as well as the way in which she had tied her laces this morning, and the angle at which her feet found themselves. "Your trainers aren't going to tell me. So come on. Spill."

"We… we had a little talk. You know, when I left the cabin with him." Harry nodded, not sure where this was going, but feeling like maybe he didn't want to know so much anymore. Hermione was holding in a breath, and was turning rather red because of it. Finally she breathed out, sighing. "He asked me out." Harry's eyes popped out onto the floor. Figuratively. "He said that 'we flirt all the time' and that 'I'm playing hard to get'. I told him that bickering constantly is NOT flirting, and that I've never played hard to get a day in my life!" Harry chuckled.

"More like, impossible to get, Hermione. You're up in your ivory tower like Rapunzel, but with bushy hair."

Hermione huffed. "Oh stuff it Harry. That's not the point. The point is, I had to turn him down, and he wouldn't understand. We started arguing again, it was like we were arguing about arguing, and we were just proving that we always argue!" Hermione began to rant about the redheaded boy, calling him a variety of things Harry had not expected her to know.

Harry hugged Hermione as hard as she would always hug him, and not surprisingly, Hermione found it hard to rant and breathe at the same time. "It'll be alright, just forget about him, don't let him ruin the feast, okay? And definitely don't watch him eat" Harry grinned. Hermione smiled slightly too, and they got onto the carriage that had been already been waiting for a few minutes. The actual carriage ride was quiet, Harry watched the Thestrals beating their wings. Hermione stared right through the Thestrals, not being able to see them, and watched Hogwarts get closer and closer. The Boy-Who-Lived contemplated the coming year, thinking about his heritage, and how he had never really embraced being the son of a Marauder. Then he began to feel sorry for himself as the image of Sirius falling through the Veil came back to him, and the rage and impotence he had felt, but that was in the past, and no amount of crying would bring him back. Harry had done enough crying over the summer. It was time now for "Sirius business". Harry grinned to himself. Hermione noticed, and blinked questioningly at him.

"What? I'm thinking about Sirius business!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You've finally cracked. I wonder what my schedule will be like. I hope I've got at least some afternoons free." Hermione began to speak at great length about her schedule, and what classes she was taking, and how they would factor into a number of different careers she could choose, and how important it is for her to-

Harry had long stopped paying attention. He had begun to concoct his own schemes regarding a certain blonde ponce, and only when the carriage touched down did Hermione realize that Harry had long zoned out, and slapped him upside the head.

"Oi, what?"

"You haven't heard a single thing I've said, have you?"

"No, Hermione, I haven't. But-" Harry grinned his own version of the shit-eating grin, "I've been thinking, and you know, we've been friends for such a long time, and I've always had this crush on you, ever since I saw you in that little blue number you had on at the Yule Ball, so I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go out with me sometime, you know, be my girlfriend, after we graduate, you could stay at home, birth my children, cook their meals, clean, you know, we could even have a clock like the Weasleys. Would you like that?"

Hermione's eyes widened, and she began to sputter like an old car and punch him in the shoulder repeatedly. "You, you, arsehole! I'm already stressed out enough as it is!" She jumped out of the carriage, and began to walk, almost jog forward toward the castle.

"Hermione!" She turned around briefly. "Nice bum, where ya from?" She whipped her head back toward the school and flipped him the bird. Harry chuckled to himself, and hopped out of the carriage himself. He began to walk at a leisurely pace, but still relatively fast. He didn't want to miss the food, after all. He soon had caught up to a pair of Slytherins (he could tell by their robes), and recognized the shapely behind of one Daphne Greengrass. He walked almost silently behind them, but a twig snapped under his foot, and he was soon being nearly poked in the eye by two wands.

"A little jumpy, are we?" The younger girl narrowed her eyes.

"What do you want, Scarhead?"

"Ooh. That bites. So you've thrown in with Malfoy, I gather?"

Daphne frowned and lowered her sister's arm for her. "Sorry, Potter. This is my sister, Astoria. Story, put that away. No, she most certainly has NOT thrown in with Malfoy," she nearly spat, looking disgusted. "I just recently had to defend myself from Malfoy, so she's on edge. Don't mind her," she said to him, a pleading look in her eyes that Harry interpreted correctly, he hoped.

"Oh? What did he do?"

"Nothing major, but he won't be trying it again."

"NOTHING MAJOR! HE-"

"STORY! Shut! Up!"

"Sorry sis," the younger girl said quietly. Harry's eyebrows shot to the sky as he processed what was going on. Clearly, Daphne had fed her sister a cock-and-bull story about what had happened on the train, and Harry did not feature in that version. He resolved to ask her about it later. As they reached the doors, Daphne sent Astoria ahead, saying that she had to speak to Potter about something or other. The younger girl looked puzzled and maybe a touch indignant, but she walked in without another word. The two teens stood in silence for a moment, looking at the door where she had just disappeared.

"So… I gather she doesn't know what really happened?"

Daphne clicked her tongue, and turned to face the bespectacled boy. "No, she doesn't. I told her a tale about how I disarmed Malfoy and sent him away with his tail between his gangly legs. I'm sorry, but it's just not something I want broadcast throughout the school, and my sister has a really big mouth."

"No, it's not a big deal, it's nobody's business except yours anyway. And mine," Harry's face darkened. "It's high time I started… embracing my heritage." Daphne looked about to ask a question, but they had already walked into the Entrance Hall, and were nearing the Great Hall. "I'll explain another time. See you later, Miss Greengrass" Harry walked away with a cheeky smile, slipping through the door to the Great Hall before he could get a look at the expression on the girl's face. She stared at his retreating figure, and couldn't help but wonder at the interesting dynamic this young man had with her.

Harry sat down at his table, in his usual seat, across from Hermione, but it was not Ron who sat beside him, rather it was Ginny who plopped down beside him. Hermione looked up from her plate and her eyes widened for a second before she focused intently on her food once again. Harry began to chew some potato as Ginny fiddled with her cutlery.

"How are you feeling, Harry?" she spoke as brightly as she could. Harry blinked, and sighed inwardly, dreading a conversation with a girl he had come to realize had a crush on him that he in no way returned.

"I'm… doing alright. How about yourself? Heard anything from Fred and George?" Ginny looked flustered at having the topic steered off track.

"They got a ton of money to start up their shop, but they won't tell anyone who gave it to them. They said it was a secret investor. Anyway!" Ginny shifted gears rather awkwardly. "I'm doing great, I'm excited for Hogsmeade, did you know the first weekend is scheduled for next week?" Ginny asked with a dazzling smile. Harry blinked, not liking the gear she had shifted to.

"Yeah? I didn't know. That's good, I'm running low on quills and some other stuff." He tried to put 'er in reverse.

"Oh yeah, me too! We can do our shopping together!" It didn't work.

"Er… sure, yeah, I guess we'll see each other around in the shops." Harry tried to let her down easy, but she wasn't willing to go down. Well. She probably WAS willing to go down. But- Harry choked on his potato. Merlin, he had to go and think about that with food in his mouth!

"Great!" Ginny said ecstatically, and dug into her own food enthusiastically. Hermione caught his eyes, and shook her head. Harry sighed and rolled his eyes before quickly returning to his food. A few seats down, Ron was talking loudly to the other boys while stealing occasional glances at Hermione. Harry decided to ignore him for now. They'd have a talk later in the Tower. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Malfoy and his two Dudley Dursley clones Crabbe and Goyle get up and walk out of the hall. He figured now was as good as time as any to begin his "Sirius business". He stood up himself, and walked down the length of the table, unaware that a certain greasy-haired Potions master was following him with his gaze. As soon as Harry had closed the door, the three Slytherin Stooges jumped out at him, their wands levelled at his head. Harry, however, already had his wand in his hand, and a Shield Charm was up before any of the others had a chance to think up a clever hex.

"_Incendio_" Malfoy cast, and fire shot out of his wand, licking at Harry's shield, which held as though nothing was happening.

"Impressive, Malfoy. With skills like this, you'll be Voldemort's right hand man in no time!" Harry chuckled darkly. "Just remember what I said before. I wasn't kidding." The doors flew open, and the entire student population of Hogwarts saw a rather weak fire assaulting Harry Potter's shield, before both spells disappeared and Harry shot his own jet of flame, an impressive blue colour as opposed to Malfoy's light orange. All three Stooges shielded against it, but neither Crabbe nor Goyle's shields could stop the flame, and the edges of their robes caught on fire. Severus Snape stood in the doorway, looking angry.

"Dueling in the halls, Potter? I see you could not wait until even the second day to begin besmirching this school's reputation. I would take off points, but," Snape sneered, "your house has none. Detention in the Potions lab, tonight at 8 pm. If you are late, it'll be the rest of the week." He swept past an angry Harry. Malfoy smirked and went the same way as Snape with his mindless followers.

"Soon, Malfoy… We'll finish that" Harry whispered under his breath. He turned to see most of Hogwarts still looking at him. Frowning, he left and headed toward Gryffindor Tower.

Ron sat on his bed, staring at the floor, replaying the conversation he had had with his bushy-haired friend. "I just don't see you that way, Ronald," she had said. "We're not meant to be together, we argue constantly!" He had always thought that she argued with him like a little girl would hit you to let you know she liked you. He huffed angrily, and began to unpack his trunk. It was then that Harry walked into the circular room, still plotting ways to take Malfoy down a notch or seven. He noticed Ron looking at him, and thought that perhaps a talk was long overdue.

"Hey mate."

"What?"

"I just wanted to ask you, what happened with you and Hermione on the train?" Ron's ears turned their customary red, and his eyes narrowed.

"I don't see how it's any of your business, Potter!"

"Don't be a prat Ron, she's my best friend too! And since when am I 'Potter' to you? Who are you, Malfoy?"

"It's none of your concern," Ron made a face and left the room. Harry sighed, and sat down on his bed, taking his trunk out of his pocket and returning it to its original size before kicking off his shoes and lying down on his bed. He blinked, and next thing he knew, it was dark in the room. Harry shot out of bed, drew his wand, and quickly cast "_Tempus_" finding that it was five minutes to 8. He quickly put on his shoes and shoved the Marauder's Map into his pocket before sprinting off to the dungeons.

He arrived on time, but out of breath. Snape waved him in with a sneer.

"Ah, Potter. You're on time. Too bad. You can start labelling all the ingredients in the jars on that shelf" Snape said, indicating to a shelf loaded with what had to be at least 40 unmarked jars. Harry groaned inwardly. "And if you find that your pathetic knowledge of potions ingredients cannot help you identify the contents of a jar, there is a guide on the stool. No, you may not sit down." Snape returned to his work, and Harry began opening jars and peering inside. He smiled evilly, and began writing on the empty labels.

A/N: Another chapter banged out. R&R, if you think the story should go a certain way, let me know, and I'll think about it haha.


	3. A Little Action

Chapter 3: A Little Action

A/N: This chapter will be fighting! I want Harry to plant Malfoy's ass in the ground, so that's what he'll do. But that doesn't make him super!Harry or god-powers!Harry either. There'll be a price to pay. Later on, I'd like to make him delve into the Dark Arts a bit, make him grey!Harry, but he'll still be on the right side of the tracks. Tracey Davis also makes an appearance as the obligatory best friend on DG's side. I'm not sure yet if she'll like Harry or not.

Harry had just finished labelling what was, at last count, 55 jars of potions ingredients, each more foul smelling than the last. He had no doubt that Snape had saved him only the best and finest of his ingredients. Harry was no slouch, however, and had properly returned the favour by switching the names of various similar powders and liquids. Harry wondered whether Snape could tell the difference between fine grain sand and powdered goblin toenail without having to taste them both. Turning a corner, Harry became aware of a person standing in the darkness at the end of the hallway. The figure was too dark to make out, but Harry could bet his entire vault that it was the blond ponce, desperate to prove himself.

Of course, Harry was right, and a Disarming Charm shot his way. Harry threw his wand in the air, and the spell had no effect. "Betcha didn't see that coming, did you Malfoy?"

"You won't be seeing anything when I'm done with you" Malfoy shouted from down the hall as a flurry of spells began to rain down on Harry. Stunners, Severing Charms, Conjunctivitis, all sorts of nasty little things. Harry put up a basic Shield Charm and waited it out. The spells crashed against the light blue shield. "Scared, Potter?"

"You've said that to me at least 6 times now. I thought you would've realized by now that it doesn't work." Harry said calmly with a smile on his face, as he began his own assault. Malfoy's shield buckled under Harry's three Stunners. The duelling teens had approached each other, and neither noticed as another blonde Slytherin came out of the common room, and promptly hid around a corner, her eyes wide.

"_Sectumsempra!_" Malfoy yelled.

Harry conjured a marble wall. "_Marmor!_" The dark curse left a large hole in the wall, and marble dust blew out in all directions. "_Depulso_" he said, flinging the damaged marble towards Malfoy, who blew it to pieces, before levitating the pieces of stone, and Banishing them back at Harry. "_Subsisto motus_" stopped the rocks, and "_oppugno_" made them float around Malfoy's head and attempt to knock him out, much like an army of bludgers.

"I led Dumbledore's Army, Malfoy! I can bury you anytime, anywhere. _Suffoca!_" Malfoy began to choke, but the jinx was susceptible to _Finite Incatatem_, and so Malfoy began another offensive.

"_Confringo!_"

"_Marmor!_" A cloud of dust billows in all directions.

"_Deprimo!_"

"_Stupefy! Protego!_"

The spells continued to fly back and forth, both boys being blown back by the force of curses impacting their shields.

"_Defodio, defodio, expulso,_ I'll kill you! _Sectumsempra!_" Malfoy shouted a constant stream of spells, but he was tiring. The Potter boy cast another Shield Charm, and none of his spells made it through.

"I know magic you could never hope to learn, Potter! _Da cultri!_" he yelled, and a group of knives appeared in front of him and flew towards the Boy-Who-Lived.

"_Aguamenti, congela!_" The blond Slytherin held her breath as the blades embedded themselves into the block of solid ice Harry had just created. "What was that, Malfoy? _DA CULTRI!_ I guess you're right, I didn't know that one. But I do now!" Harry laughed as what seemed to be a sea of knives materialized in front of him. The girl watched intently as the knives glinted in the dim light of the dungeons. She gasped as Harry flicked his wand and all the blades shot forward as one. Malfoy's eyes widened at the sheer display of power, and he knew it was time to play dirty.

"Just a lucky shot, Potter! Get out here!" he yelled, and the lumbering forms of Crabbe and Goyle came into view from behind twin suits of armour. They both began to cast, as Malfoy himself conjured a huge wall of marble to deflect the huge number of knives speeding towards him. They clanked against it and fell to the floor, and he quickly vanished them, before Potter could use them against him again.

Stunners flew from the Crabbe and Goyle as Harry first shielded, then returned his own Stunners.

"_Sanguine furtur!_" Malfoy yelled. The curse was meant to vanish all the blood in the target's body, surely a horrible way to die. Harry didn't recognize it, and so was forced to dodge it, not knowing what would or would not block it. The Slytherin girl gasped again and jumped back from the corner as the yellow curse flew inches away from her face, but she couldn't stop watching the fascinating duel. "Let's see how you like cursed fire, Scarhead! _Demens ignis!_" Green fire shot out of his wand, heading outwards toward Harry.

"_Sacer ignis!_ Watch me fight fire with fire, Malfoy!" White fire rushed forward to meet the sickly green, and the ensuing explosion knocked everyone, including the observing girl onto their backs. Harry was the first one up, but Malfoy wasn't far behind. He caught a glimpse of a blonde hair around the corner, which gave Malfoy the time to let off a Cruciatus. Harry grunted and fell to his knees as a pair of eyes looked around the corner and widened.

"I. Can. Take. You." Harry grunted with effort, and stood shakily. Malfoy's eyes narrowed, and he let the curse go. Harry's knees buckled as he struggled to stay on his feet. Malfoy got closer to him.

"After I'm done with you, I'm going to find that Greengrass whore, and make her mine like she should be! _Crucio!_" Harry's hand shot up this time, and grabbed Malfoy's wrist in a death grip, the curse ricocheting off the ceiling. The girl's eyes widened once again in recognition. She _knew_ there was more than she had heard from Daphne!

"You've shown me yours," Harry said in a low voice. "Now let me show you mine. _CRUCIO!_" he shouted as a dark red curse hit Malfoy squarely in the chest, and he screamed in pain as he was blown back onto the floor. "This, this right here is between us. But if you touch her, I'll keep you awake until you die from the pain!" Harry shouted, throwing everything he had into the curse. Magic arced out of Malfoy, and he stopped trashing, now limp on the floor. Crabbe and Goyle, having woken each other up after the explosion of fire, put their wands away and dragged Malfoy's unmoving body away into the darkness. For a minute, nothing stirred, as Harry caught his breath. He began walking towards the Slytherin girl he knew was still around the corner. He passed her, and he felt more than heard her flatten out against the wall, obviously hoping he wouldn't notice her. In a burst of motion, Harry whirled around, pinning the girl to the wall and putting a hand over her mouth, muffling her scream. "How much did you see?" he breathed. The girl blinked pulled his hand off her mouth slowly.

"A-all of it… you were talking about Daphne, right?" Harry's jaw set and he pointed his wand into her face, the tip glowing white as a steel knife began to form in front of the girl's face.

"Are you after her too? Merlin." Harry's eyes narrowed.

"NO! No. I'm Tracey Davis, her best friend. I've known her since first year." Harry let go of her as the knife dissolved in small cloud of black smoke, and the blonde girl slid down the wall, breathing heavily. "I knew there was more than she was telling me. What really happened on the train, Potter?"

Harry relaxed, and stowed his wand. "Malfoy happened. I came into the room and he was trying to force her to… I'm not quite sure but he wasn't looking for pleasant conversation!" Tracey's expression darkened, and she balled her fists.

"Oh that blonde ass-kisser! Should've drowned him at birth, they should've!" At this, Harry chuckled.

"I couldn't agree more. Don't tell anyone any of what I've just said. Daphne didn't even tell her sister."

"Oh. Well. I'll do my best." Tracey smiled cheekily. "So why were you in the dungeons anyway?"

"Oh. I had detention with Snape."

"On the first day? You haven't even had class yet!"

"Yeah, it's a gift. I was born with it." Harry laughed inwardly at his private joke. "Anyway, um, sorry for roughing you up" Harry said guiltily.

"What? No, it's all right, I'd be jumpy too after a fight like that. Merlin, you used an Unforgivable!"

"He started it! I wasn't looking to duel!"

"No, I know but that was scary as hell! I'll make sure to stay out of your way!"

There was a moment of awkward silence as Harry ruffled his hair and Tracey shuffled her feet. "Well, thanks for standing up for my friend, Potter" she said softly.

"Uh, no problem. Tell her I say hi if you see her. I should probably get going, it'll be curfew soon" Harry coughed.

"Oh! Yeah, curfew. Well, toodles, Potter! Thanks for not killing me!" Tracey waved and ran off to the common room. Harry blinked and shook his head.

"I don't even…" Harry sighed and headed back towards Gryffindor Tower, unfolding the Marauder's Map as he went.

Back in Gryffindor Tower, there was a gigantic row raging as Harry stumbled in.

"I HATE YOU RONALD! STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

"You're a good for nothing Mudblood and you'll never be a proper witch!" Ron yelled out, and Hermione shrieked out a Banishing Charm that threw the red-haired boy into a couch so hard that the couch flipped over onto him.

"_Immobulus,_" Harry sighed as Hermione froze in the middle of casting another, probably more unpleasant spell. Ron crawled out from under the couch and raised his wand. Harry raised his own, the tip glowing blue. He stared at the redhead until Ron lowered his wand begrudgingly. "Good. Leave. I have to fix this," Harry pointed towards Hermione, who was still frozen, "but we WILL have words about this." Harry nodded to Ron, who scurried up to the sixth year dorm.

"_Finite,_" Harry sighed again. As Hermione began to yell at him, he Silenced her. Her eyes narrowed, and she closed her mouth. "We're going to talk about this without yelling. Don't be mad at me, believe it or not, I'm on your side." Hermione plopped down on the couch and began to cry silently. Harry lifted the charm and sat down beside her.

"Look, I don't know exactly what else Ron said while I wasn't here, and I don't especially want to know. I think you two should stay away from each other."

"He won't leave me alone" Hermione sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "He's always there, giving me dirty looks like I did something to him."

"Ron's just like that. Give him time to realize what a prat he's being. Just give him a wide berth for now. I know it's not fair that you have to avoid him, but he IS the one with the emotional range of a teaspoon."

Hermione chuckled stood up, sniffing once again. "Thanks Harry" she rolled her eyes. "You always know just what to say."

"That's me, Mione, I'm a regular Casanova, haven't you heard?" Harry hugged his remaining best friend and sent her off to bed. As she padded quietly away, he stared into the fire, finally alone.

A/N: Number 3 down! This one's a bit shorter, maybe I'll edit some more spells and curses and stuff into the duel, to make it a bit longer. PM suggestions if you have any crazy duel ideas that would fit in well. Also, here's a list of the spells I pulled out of my ass and their more or less rough translations from Latin.

Subsisto motus – stop motion

Suffoca – choke

Congela - freeze

Da cultri – gives knives

marmor – marble

sanguine furtur – steal your blood

sacer ignis – sacred fire

demens ignis – demented fire


	4. Hogsmeade, Take 1

Chapter 4: Hogsmeade, Take 1

A/N: First Hogsmeade weekend. There will be some Daphne in this chapter, but she won't feature until next chapter. I mean, she doesn't know jack about Harry, and he knows nothing about her either. So they'll make friends for a bit, but don't misunderstand. Harry's interested, it'll be Sirius business all the way through. Also, Malfoy-bashing to the extreme. Pureed ponce, prepare yourselves!

The first week of the school had gone by without a hitch, or at least, as few as had been expected. Ron and Hermione were both in perpetual foul moods, with Harry's bushy-haired best friend often retreating to the safety of the library, a place that the redheaded time bomb did not dare venture. Harry did his level-headed best to mediate and to remain neutral, but Ron was making it nigh impossible with his constant snide remarks and a terribly short fuse. Only the Hogsmeade trip, a few short minutes away, kept Harry from having done with the prophecy and drowning himself in the lake.

"Ron, you've _got_ to stop acting like this, all of Gryffindor is going spare!" Harry grimaced, thinking back to the various spats that he had gotten into to try to pull his friend out of the shitter. "Merlin, I'm getting tired of everyone being upset because I take your side when you bicker and curse everyone!"

"Then leave! Just forget about me, I can fight my own battles, I don't need you or your stupid scar to scare anyone away!" Hermione frowned as Ron turned slightly red in anger, and when the two boys reached the Gryffindor table, he sat with Dean Thomas. The black boy was one of the few that Ron had not angered, and was more than happy to argue Quidditch-versus-football with him. At that moment, Hermione sat down across from him, saying nothing, simply gathering what she wanted to eat onto a plate. Harry plopped down by himself. He scooped some eggs and bacon onto his plate, and grabbed a few pieces of toast.

As he began to chew, the only female Weasley offspring sat down beside him. Harry swallowed slowly, not knowing exactly what was coming, but dreading it anyway. Harry knew that they had talked about going "shopping" while in Hogsmeade, but even he could see that it was a thinly veiled excuse for a date, one that he did not desire in the least, considering that Ginny was and would always be "Ron's little sister".

"Good morning Harry," Ginny said, dragging his name out a big longer than necessary. "It's such a lovely day today! Are you ready to go?" Harry's green eyes finally swivelled to observe the girl that had sat down beside him. She was wearing a flattering top that did little to conceal the Weasley family heirlooms right there on the front. Hermione privately rolled her eyes and eyed her breakfast.

"To, uh, Hogsmeade?" Harry blinked.

"Yes, silly, to Hogsmeade." Harry blinked again, and considered his options. Alas, Harry had committed to a strict diet of "Sirius business", so he could not in good conscience turn down a date until he had at least partially seen it through to determine if slitting his wrists was necessary. So he swallowed his bacon and his better judgment, and began to smile.

"Sure, Ginny, let's go. There are too many people around here." He winked at her, and she looked at him in shock. She hadn't expected him to act like this, and wasn't sure if she liked the development. But she had no choice but to go along, after all, she had started it. As the two teens walked quickly out of the hall, Harry glanced toward the Slytherin table, locking eyes with Tracey Davis before she herself moved to look at Malfoy, who was looking disgustedly at Daphne and her sister. Harry's eyes narrowed, but he resolved not to dwell on it, as a true ordeal was on the horizon.

Soon enough, Ginny and Harry entered the village of Hogsmeade, a light breeze shifting the girl's hair. The Boy-Who-Lived decided that he should take initiative before something goes awry. "Well! I need to buy a few things from Scrivenshaft's, and then we could go to Zonko's, and then Honeydukes, that way we don't have to walk back and forth," he smiled at Ginny. She blinked, taken aback by Harry's display of leadership.

"Sure, Harry. Let's do that." As they began to walk, each was in deep thought, but on entirely different topics. Ginny was having a hard time not reaching for the hand of the young man that walked beside her. She had, of course, harboured a near-obsession for the green-eyed hero of the Wizarding world for ages, even before he had saved her, and this was her chance. But did she actually want it? She, being just like her mother, wanted the reins to the carriage, as it were. She had thought, knowing Harry, that they would not be difficult to obtain, but Harry was becoming more and more of a Marauder, and less and less of an inexperienced child.

"After my lady," Harry teased as he opened the door into the quill shop for her. A smattering of Hogwarts students were already inside, looking at the various things Scrivenshaft's had to offer. Much to Ginny's surprise, Harry promptly walked off and began to collect what he needed, including a few rolls of parchment and varying colours of ink. Ginny took up the rear, trying to make small talk as Harry barely allowed her to keep up.

"Hello, could I please have 10 of the eagle pinion, and… 10 of the goose." Harry spoke to the attractive attendant, who totalled up his purchases, and gave him his change, all the while trying not to stare. He smiled a lopsided grin and leaned in slightly. "Thank you kindly."

Ginny's eyes narrowed as she saw Harry apparently flirting with the girl behind the counter. She glared at her and dragged Harry out of the store by his arm. She did not want to suffer through another three stores filled with other girls and flirtatious salesgirls. "Harry, do you think we could get a drink at the Three Broomsticks?"

"Er, sure, why not?" They began to walk towards the popular pub, but soon found that it was filled to the brim, it seemed in fact that there was even a line up for tables. Madam Rosmerta was nearly dancing a jig.

Ginny of course noticed along with Harry that the Three Broomsticks was no longer an options, and had to act quickly before he decided he didn't want a drink. "Terribly busy in there, but it's all right, I know this other place" she smiled sweetly at him. Harry cocked an eyebrow but followed her to wherever she was going. They soon began to approach a tiny little café that was tucked away from the rest of the village. The hanging sign had a heart on it and the place was called "Madam Puddifoot's". Harry inhaled sharply, much like one would inhale in front of firing squad.

"Here we are! And it looks like there's space in here." They began to walk to the door at Ginny's urging, but Harry stopped short of the entrance to hell.

"Um, Ginny… this place is for couples." The girl turned red, and did not dare turn to face him. Harry interpreted this lack of action correctly, and began deploying parachutes. "What I mean is, you're a nice girl, but… uh, don't you think we should get to know each other a bit better before we, er…?" Harry peered through the window, and sure enough, only couples populated the tables, and not a single person was in possession of their own spit at that moment. Ginny turned to face Harry at last, and she was still as red as her hair.

"Harry, I just-"

"-we can go in if you like, but…" Ginny's arms dropped to her side, "blimey, everything is pink in there." She looked up at him, incredulously. He was still looking through the window. One of the couples had managed to knock over a sugar bowl, but their activities went uninterrupted. Ginny had stopped being embarrassed, and was now becoming angry, the kind of angry only a Weasley can be.

"Pink? You're worried about the upholstery being pink? Who cares about that?"

Harry turned to her, and so they came face to face, Harry himself becoming incensed. "I'm not worried, I'm more horrified than anything else. I can't imagine ever going in there."

"Not even for me?"

"Merlin, Ginny, this past week, you've been saying things like that, and I don't understand-"

By this point in the conversation, Ginny was tearing up, but these weren't happy tears. "We're MEANT to be together, don't you see?" Harry blinked and his eyebrows touched the sky.

"Meant to- what?"

"I've been dreaming about you since I was a little girl! I know you know!"

"Who have you been dreaming about, Ginny?" Harry understood what was going on. This was just The Chosen One and a fan girl.

"You, Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, everything I've ever wanted." As soon as the words had left her mouth, she knew that had been very much the wrong thing to say. Harry's expression darkened, and hers became fearful.

"I _hate_ everything you've ever wanted. I always have. You've heard me say it a million times, but obviously you were so _star-struck_ you haven't been listening." Ginny broke out in angry tears, but Harry soldiered on, all pretense of calm slipping away. "I'm not who you think I am! What do you actually know about me? Hm?" Ginny stammered for a few seconds, but he gave her no quarter. "Nothing! Everything you know, you could've read in the Prophet, or in those blasted biographies, Ginny! Every glorious action has a price, and I've paid more than my share, and I have to continue paying. You came to the Ministry with me, and I'm grateful for that, more than you can imagine. But I don't need another fan girl. I need _real friends_." Harry breathed out, and Ginny stood rooted to the spot.

"You just d-don't understand" Ginny blubbered. "I've been waiting forever for you! You saved me four years ago, I-"

"Yes, and now, just like four years ago, you are Ron's. Little. Sister." Harry said with an air of finality. Ginny shrieked in anger and drew her wand. Harry's wand was in an arm holster, and so was in hidden in his hand before she finished pulling hers out. The red-haired fury tried to cast a presumably nasty spell at him, but her rage did not allow her to properly formulate anything, and a small blast of red light and puff of smoke later, she was on her backside with her sleeves singed and her wand in a pile of leaves a few feet to her right. Harry's wand found its way back into its holster, and he shook his head slowly at Ginny's angry, tear-streaked face, and began to walk away. Was it too late to sleep in today?

A few minutes later, Harry was still walking, ruminating recent events. He was trying to decide if he could have let Ginny down any lighter than he had, but there was no possible way. She pushed herself on him, and he simply didn't see her that way. It made him angry just thinking that in her mind, he had no choice in the matter of whom he dated. It was like someone had awarded him to Ginny Weasley for… something or other. He had soon ended up back in front of the Three Broomsticks, whose clientele had thinned out considerably. Most people were enjoying the forgiving weather on the various alleyways and streets. Harry trudged inside and sauntered to the bar, ordering a Butterbeer, and sat in a booth near the back, his changed forgotten as he spotted Ron and Dean at a table not far away. His attention was diverted, however, to a boisterous laughter that he recognized with a snort of disgust. Malfoy was talking loudly to some non-descript Slytherin boys sitting at the same table, chortling over some no doubt distasteful joke. However, his laughter soon stopped, as he noticed that none other than the Greengrass sisters and Tracey Davis sat at the next table over. Harry could already tell that this was going to escalate to massive proportions very quickly. He began to walk towards the table.

Malfoy began to make his usual advances. "Hello ladies," he drawled as his father had drawled before him, and his father before that. "How are you this fine afternoon?" he continued, eyeing Daphne in particular, but gracing Astoria and Tracey with his glances as well.

"Piss off, Malfoy!" Tracey growled.

"Aw, is that any way to talk a fellow housemate? Especially one who holds you all in nothing but the highest esteem?" Malfoy grinned the shit-eating grin that had become his trademark. All three girls began to tremble in anger as Harry finally decided to approach their table. "Besides, treating a man like me without a certain level of respect can be… hazardous to your health. My father-"

"-has unnaturally feminine hair and is now in prison being fondled by rats. Sound about right?" Harry leaned on the table, obscuring Malfoy's view of Daphne.

"Don't you DARE speak about my father that way. When he gets out of prison-"

"Don't presume anything, Malfoy, maybe he likes it there. I hear Azkaban does wonders for the complexion." Harry smirked and Malfoy became a little less pale. He could hear the girls behind him fight to keep their giggling to a minimum.

"Damn you Scarhead! The Dark Lord will kill you, but not before I bring the might of the Malfoy fortune down on you. You will pay for your insolence!"

Dropping a few knuts on the table, Harry smirks again. "Here's your share." He can distinctly hear a snort coming from behind him, but Harry is hardly finished. This is too good. "Malfoy, I am the only heir to both the Potter AND Black estates. Your family's fortune is," Harry grins widely and shrugs, "just a drop in my bucket. You'll have to save up if you want to play with the big boys," Harry says, finding one more knut in his pocket, and placing it with the rest. Malfoy turned about as red as he ever would, and with a wide sweeping motion, sent most of the dishes on the table crashing, along with the coins. The girls all gave slight startled shrieks, quickly trying to cover them up with coughs. Harry was not impressed, however, and upon straightening out, Malfoy came face to face with a glowing wand tip. "Continuing to grace us with your presence could be… hazardous to your health. My father is dead, but I don't need him to put you underground." The air temperature seemed to drop as all humour quickly drained from the situation.

Malfoy backed away slowly, snarling. "You'll get yours, Potter. Just you wait." Malfoy then turned and, with a swish of his cloak, disappeared out the door of the pub. Harry's tension quickly evaporated, and he turned to face the remaining Slytherins, smiling.

"How long do you suppose he spends practicing that cloak thing?" Tracey openly smiled, Daphne blinked and smiled slightly, but Astoria, it seemed, was trying to copy one of Malfoy's expressions.

"Stuff it, Potter, you're not welcome here either. You think just because you scared Malfoy away you're free to stay and chat?" Harry frowned slightly, but before he could reply, he noticed Daphne begin whispering angrily to her younger sister, as well as an irate Madam Rosmerta rushing towards the table.

"Oh my, would you just _look_ at this mess? Mr. Potter, did you happen to see what happened to the gentlemen eating at this table here?" she indicated towards Malfoy's former table.

"Er, they left in a hurry." The woman cursed.

"Stupid children, inconsiderate brats, I'll have the lot of them hanged thrown in chains-" she continued to mutter under her breath.

"Is something wrong, madam?"

"No, absolutely not, except for all these broken dishes on the floor and the fact that those brats didn't pay before they left! I don't suppose you know who was sitting there?" Tracey saw a golden opportunity to royally screw the blond prince of Slytherin.

"Yes actually madam, that would be Draco Malfoy and his cronies."

"Oh, his family has been tainting the earth for generations" Rosmerta frowned angrily. "I'll have to make a complaint with the headmaster, and-"

"That won't be necessary, madam." Tracey and Daphne stared at him incredulously, while Astoria couldn't decide between confusion and disgust at the whole scene. Harry pulled out his money pouch, which had been conveniently replaced by the goblins with a bottomless one, and handed Rosmerta a generous handful of galleons. "I'm not sure how much the dishes and wasted food are worth, but I'd appreciate if this isn't on the front page of the Prophet tomorrow, madam." The older woman's eyes nearly popped as she was handed more money than she made in two weeks.

"Uh, y-yes, of course Mr. Potter. Absolutely. I'll just, er, clean this up" she began waving her wand, vanishing various pieces of broken plates and bottles.

"So are you going to leave, Potter?" Astoria did not give up easily. And there was nothing less appetizing than a Gryffindor at the table.

"Actually, since your meal here has ended up decorating the floor, I would invite you all to lunch at Hogwarts. You can have whatever you like, compliments of the kitchen elves. How about it?" Astoria's eyes narrowed to slits, and she began to reply, but Daphne's hand shot up over her mouth. As she herself began to speak, Tracey's hand shot over her mouth, and Tracey was the one who finally replied, much to Harry's amusement.

"That sounds great, Potter. Lead the way."

A/N: Ohh, I love tearing Malfoy a new one. I'll be tearing him some a few more real soon. More action in the next chapter, after an important discussion between new friends.

This chapter was 500 words longer than I intended, but I was on a roll and still am! There'll be another chapter up as soon as I bang it out.

R & R people! Send me ideas of what you'd like to see, you've all got'em :P


	5. Acquaintances

Chapter 5: Acquaintances

A/N: Reviewers have said that Astoria and Tracey are interesting characters, so what better way to put them on display then like this? This is going to be an interesting lunch. And there may be action later in the chapter, or maybe in the next chapter, depending how long I make this one. I shan't say anymore.

Three Slytherins and a Gryffindor descended into the basement of Hogwarts, none of them making much conversation.

"Potter, where the hell are we going? This leads to the Hufflepuff dorms." Astoria said, displeased on principle. Daphne glared at her sister, and Tracey rolled her eyes at both of them.

"We are heading towards the kitchen, actually. I… have a man on the inside" Harry chuckled. Even Astoria looked curious at that. Soon after arriving at the painting and tickling the pear, Harry led them into a room as massive as the Great Hall, with elves bustling everywhere and kitchenware floating around. At one end there was a huge fireplace. Before they could look at anything closely, however, there was a pop and Dobby the house elf immediately latched on to Harry's leg, already uttering praises.

"Harry Potter sir is visiting Dobby. Harry Potter is the greatest wizard ever! Dobby wishes Harry Potter would take Dobby to be his elf. Dobby wishes nothing more than to work for Harry Potter sir!" The little elf spoke very fast.

"Uh… Well… Do you really want to?"

"Oh yes Harry Potter sir, Dobby be doing anything to work for kind and noble wizard like Harry Potter."

"Well, Hermione's not around to criticize. How would I… accept you as my elf?" Astoria, Daphne, and Tracey could only look on in astonishment as Harry Potter gained a house elf.

"Harry Potter is needing only to say so, and Dobby be doing the rest," Dobby nodded his head and his ears flapped.

"Alright. I accept Dobby as my house elf." Dobby snapped his fingers, and a tendril of magic arced quickly between them, leaving Harry feeling roughly the same as before. As Dobby began to feel his change in allegiance, tears sprang to his huge eyes and he began to cry.

"Dobby is having greatest master ever, Master Harry Potter sir! Dobby be doing anything Master Harry Potter sir needs!" The Slytherins looked on in amusement and shock as the elf babbled.

"Er, that's great Dobby, I think I'd like you to keep working here until I need you to do something else." Dobby's ears flapped as he once again nodded his assent vigorously. "For now though, my friends and I need some lunch. Can you get us something in the Room of Requirement? WAIT, don't leave! Can you pop us there first?"

"Dobby is taking Master Harry Potter Sir and his friends to Come and Go Room now." A short pop later, they stood on the seventh floor, looking around.

"Uh, Potter, where are we?" This time it was Daphne who asked, but she was lacking her sister's malice.

"Oh! Uh, we're on the seventh floor, that right there is Barnabus the Barmy, and behind this wall here is the Come and Go Room, or the Room of Requirement-"

"THIS is where it is? Where Dumbledore's Army was held?" Daphne interrupted.

"Yeah. Not a lot of people know about it, but it's dead useful, and I figured, if you three have trusted me this far," Harry says, glancing at Astoria, who had predictably pursed her lips, "then it's only fair that I give a little back. What you do is, you walk up and down the hall three times while thinking of the kind of room you need, and the Room becomes exactly what you need." The girls stared in wonder as The Boy-Who-Lived paced in front of a bare wall, and in complete astonishment as a magnificent door seemingly melted into place on the wall.

"You all look like you thought I was lying or something?" Harry outright laughed and waved them in. "Come on, I think you'll like it in here."

In the Gryffindor common room, the two youngest members of the Weasley clan were having a tête-à-tête.

"He came to Hogsmeade with me, but it wasn't the same Harry, Ron!"

"What are you talking about? He's always been the same Harry."

"No, he was… different. More confident, and he didn't let me choose where we went and what we did. And he was flirty, and I just wasn't used to it at all…"

"You're right, he's not usually like that. He's usually always saying all of his _'oh I wish I had parents instead of money'_ crud."

"Ron! He's… well, all right, he's like that, yeah. Anyway, so we went to Scrivenshaft's, and he flirted with the counter help!"

"Harry? Harry would never do that. Hell, Harry can't even properly talk to a girl. Are you sure you're not just over-reacting?"

"No, I swear, Ron, he flirted with her, like he would've asked her out if I wasn't there. Then he wanted to go to some other stores, but I was thirsty, so I made him go to the Three Broomsticks, but it was really full-"

"Oh yeah, I was in there" Ron sniggered.

"Stop interrupting!" Ginny huffed. "Anyway, so it was really full, so I took him to Madam Puddifoot's." Ron's eyes widened.

"No way! That place is so creepy!"

"Well that's when it all went to hell, Ron. He didn't want to go in, something about there being too much pink-"

"Well, I'm with him on that one at least. That place give me jitters just thinking about it."

"I told him we were meant to be together, but he wouldn't listen." Ginny began to sob. "Mum said if I tried harder, he'd realize the truth. But he DIDN'T!" Ginny began to half-heartedly punch her brother in the chest.

"Ginny. Ginny, ow!" Ron tried to hug his sister.

"And I told him," Ginny sniffed, "that I've been waiting for years to get together with him, but he wouldn't l-l-listen!"

"Ssh, I know, I know. Harry's changed, we're not as close as we used to be, he makes me angry all the time. And this, I can't believe he would do this to you. We've both got a few bones to pick with that arse!"

In the Room of Requirement, Dobby had served up a sumptuous meal, and the three Slytherins had loosened up considerably around Harry, even Astoria, as much as could be expected of her. At least she kept the snide remarks to a minimum. The Room's interior was lavishly decorated in both Gryffindor and Slytherin colours, with elegant black furniture lining each wall, and huge banners with the two corresponding house crests hung on opposite walls. A huge window covered the upper half of the wall they were facing. The teens talked about anything and everything for a while. Astoria, finally, after nearly 30 minutes of keeping still and saying nothing, had eaten her fill.

"This had been my greatest pleasure, Potter," she says rolling her eyes, "but I have things I need to get done, so if you'll excuse me." She turned and left without another word.

The remaning three sat in silence for a while. Finally Harry couldn't take it anymore. "Well, at least we _know_ I'm Astoria's favourite!" he joked, wading through the tension. Tracey and Daphne laughed, but Harry could tell that Daphne was less than pleased with her sister's negative attitude. Tracey stood up suddenly after another silence where Harry had begun to stare at the two girls.

"OKAY. I can't take it anymore. Daphne, I've always been straightforward with you. So… what really happened on the train?" Daphne's eyes widened, and she immediately looked to Harry accusingly.

"How could you, Potter! You knew how it would make me look-" she raged at him.

"Actually, Daphne, he didn't tell me anything. I found out by accident, and then I kind of made him confirm what I had overheard. You see, Harry and Malfoy had a little rendezvous in front of our common room."

"Well, we bumped into each other, really, is what happened." Harry added, hoping to defuse the situation. It worked as Daphne forgot about her previous anger and was now looking only interested.

"Right, they ran into each other, and had words… about you. And what he did on the train. And then, uh…" she looked to Harry for the go-ahead to finish her story. Harry nodded and shrugged. "And then they duelled. It was… quite violent, actually." Harry looked downcast at being portrayed as violent, and Tracey became concerned. "Don't get me wrong though Harry, I'm happy you stood up for Daph!" And so she began to explain the details of the duel, and Harry watched her reactions. Her eyes widened when she heard about the massive exchange of knives, and she had to sit down when Tracey described how they had traded Cruciatuses.

"And then he said, '_you've__ shown me yours, now let me show you mine!__'_ Oh he looked so HOT saying that!" Tracey smiled mischievously at Harry, and he blushed a small amount as he raised an eyebrow at Daphne, who shrugged and smiled slightly as if to apologize for her best friend. Harry, in that moment, decided to a good one over on both girls, and since Tracey had just gotten up to refill her goblet, this was a perfect opportunity. She had to walk right in front of where he was sitting to get to the table, and so on her way back, his wand slid partially into his hand, and he shot a slight tripping jinx at Tracey's leg, managing to produce only a small glow that went unnoticed by either girl. Tracey squealed and automatically reached out to the nearest object to hold on, Harry in this case. He caught her with all the dexterity of the Seeker he was, managing not to grab onto any of her womanly assets as she inadvertently spilled the entirety of her goblet onto his shirt, exactly what he had wanted. Daphne began to laugh hysterically, and Tracey soon joined in. Now, Harry knew he wasn't at all the worst looking bloke, so he stood up, and pulled off his shirt. Tracey and Daphne's laughter died in their throats and they both turned bright red and stared at his exposed torso.

Acting as casual as possible, Harry called for Dobby. "Dobby!" The little elf popped into existence directly in front of him. "We've had a little spill, do you think you can clean this and get me another one from my dorm?"

"Dobby be doing that right away, Master Harry Potter Sir!"

"DOBBY! Please just call me Harry, it's making me feel like Dumbledore."

"Yes Master Harry Potter Sir!" Dobby popped away while Harry was still shaking his head in amusement. He turned back around to the girls, and found them still red and still staring at him. He moved closer to the couch they were sitting on.

"Don't you know it's not polite to stare?" Harry chuckled and both girls's eyes' widened dramatically before they began to inspect their shoes meticulously. "I was only joking, keep your shirts on" Harry continued to chuckle. "Or don't." He quirked an eyebrow at them. Daphne, as red as ever, managed to look him in the eye for a second.

"Why, Mr. Potter, that's the second time you've said that to me. I'm beginning to think you do actually want me to take my shirt off." She quirked her own eyebrow right back. Harry committed fully to this "Sirius business" when he replied, getting close enough to whisper.

"I think we should save that until at least the second date, don't you think?" Daphne turned even redder as Dobby popped back into the Room with a clean shirt. "Thank you Dobby" he chirped cheerfully, diverting his attention from the black-haired girl standing redfaced in the middle of the room. Tracey was as surprised as anybody that what she had heard about the Boy-Who-Lived was mostly false. He was not nearly as full of himself as the other Slytherins had said, and obviously not as shy as the rest of the school insisted. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least.

The night had worn on, so the three decided that it was time to retire for the night. They made their way down to the dungeons, Harry had been adamant on walking them, not wanting them to end up cannon fodder for Malfoy or some other enterprising young Death Eater. Daphne walked into the common room first, a very agreeable fact for Harry's wandering gaze.

As she went in, Tracey tugged his sleeve and whispered to him. "Stay here a second, we need to talk." Harry nodded, but she didn't notice. So he leaned against the wall, and waited. A minute passed. Then five minutes. He was beginning to think that maybe she wasn't coming, when suddenly the door opened, and out came the same blonde Slytherin girl. She leaned against the wall with him for a moment before speaking.

"So when are you going to ask her out?" Harry blinked, and smirked. So this is how it was going to be. Alright.

"What makes you think I want to?"

"I have good ears, Potter. I heard what you said. And even if I hadn't, you pulled that stunt with the shirt just for her." Harry blinked again, surprised that she had seen through it.

"Stunt? What stunt?"

"You tripped me so I'd spill my drink and you'd get to make her blush!" Harry smirked, having formulated the perfect way of wiggling out of this situation.

"How could I have done it? I would've had to cast a spell, and you didn't see a wand or the flash of a spell, did you?"

Tracey's brow furrowed and she looked disappointed. "I guess maybe it was an accident then."

He moved in close to her, almost at kissing distance. "Oh no no, I made it happen alright." He moved a tiny bit closer, feeling her breath on his cheek. "But maybe I did it for you?" He heard Tracey swallow and when she began to turn red, he decided she had had enough. He jumped back to leaning against the wall. "Nah, you were right. I did it for Daphne." Tracey huffed and slapped his arm in relief.

"You great prat!" Harry laughed at her indignant face. "Do it soon, I want to see the explosive romance."

"Don't you think I should take it slow?"

"I don't see why you should," Tracey shrugged. Harry shrugged too.

"Good night, Tracey."

"Good night Harry. You better do it soon, or else I might jump you myself." She grinned, and Harry blinked and then grinned at her retreating back. This whole _girls_ thing isn't nearly as bad as he had thought. Today, some progress. Tomorrow, the world!

A/N: Haha, Harry's finally a bit of a ladies man, like I've always wanted him to be. Don't misunderstand, this is still HPDG. But it's an awesome roundabout way to the HPDG. But it will be goooood when it gets there. Next chapter features excitement. Chapter 6: _A Day in the Life._

R&R please and thanks!


	6. A Day in the Life

Chapter 6: A Day in the Life

A/N: Another one done! Haha, I'm inspired at the moment! Thank you to The Unusual Suspect for taking the time to debate the events in this chapter with me. I don't think I can write anything else that wouldn't give away some of what is below so… scroll forth and conquer (read)!

Harry awoke with a start, and immediately grabbed for his glasses and his wand. Looking around for the cause of his early rising, he could find none, but after sitting still for a few seconds, groaned and rolled out of bed. It had been an earth-shattering snore that had woken Harry Potter. The perpetrator could not be identified, but the only victim was certain. It was barely 7 o'clock in the morning. Harry rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and trudged to the showers. Seeing as how he had woken up so early, he could afford to spend 20 minutes in the shower contemplating the developments that the previous day had brought, so that's exactly what he did. After getting dressed, and putting on his wand holster, Harry plodded down to the Great Hall, preparing himself for a bleary breakfast.

Daphne Greengrass, along with her sister, and her best friend, was already at breakfast, one of the few people in the nearly deserted room. Only a few students sat at each table, and there were no teachers at the staff table. Having their own private apartments, teachers rarely came down for breakfast. As Daphne began to pick and choose the contents of her breakfast, she gained a most unwelcome breakfast companion. Malfoy had sat down rather close to her and her sister. Tracey's eyes narrowed, and she drew a breath, ready to start the sparring. Daphne nudged her, meaning that she was not start anything. Tracey coughed to show her displeasure, but did not say anything.

"Good morning, ladies-" Malfoy began, as usual, to drawl.

"You only managed to keep your mouth shut for about a minute, Malfoy. I imagine you're like a dog, you need to pant" Tracey said, and Astoria burst out laughing. Daphne had her own smile on her face as Malfoy prepared a suitable retort.

"Like a dog, am I? I guess that would make you slags bitches, then?" All three girls's eyes narrowed simultaneously.

"Look who's talking, Malfoy. You have a pug and two bulldogs following you around all the time." Astoria laughed, pointing at Pansy Parkinson and Malfoy's two half-troll bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle.

"At least they know which side is the winning side, you trollop. One day, I'll have you all at my mercy, and I'll start with you, Astoria" He hissed at her. "Then we'll see who's laughing."

Daphne stood up and brandished her wand at the Prince of Slytherin. "You stay away from my sister!" Malfoy's draw followed immediately, and he sent the first spell. As they both were on the same side of the table, the space between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables became a kind of duelling strip for them as the spells began to fly.

"_Stupefy!_"

"_Locomotor mortis!_"

"_Diffindo!_"

"_Protego!_" Malfoy's Severing Charm hissed against Daphne's shield.

"_Incarcerous!_"

"_Incendio, Protego!_" The ropes Malfoy had conjured caught fire, but Daphne's spell wasn't strong enough to completely incinerate them, and they wrapped around her shield, which quickly collapsed, and tied themselves off on her arms.

"Now who's a dog, Greengrass?" Malfoy smirked. "_EXPELLIARMUS!_" But Malfoy's taunt had given the black-haired girl the time she needed to Vanish the ropes and put up another shield, though her burns were distracting her, and the shield buckled under Malfoy's overpowered Disarming Charm.

"Slippery one, aren't you?" Malfoy continued his onslaught of progressively darker curses as Astoria, Tracey, and the rest of the early risers watched in shock.

Malfoy was losing his patience. This bitch just wouldn't give up. It was time for his favourite. "You will learn to be afraid! _Da cultri!_" Knives flew out of his wand and assembled themselves in front of him. Daphne's eyes widened, she did not know any shield to defend against such an obscure and dark spell. She could only watch as the glinting steel hurtled towards her.

Suddenly a voice pierced the silence and the knives stopped. "NO." It was calmly said, but there was a cold rage behind the word that forced every single eye to swivel to its source. Harry Potter stood between the open doors of the Great Hall, wand tip glowing bright, and bolts of magic arcing off his body. His face was calm, but no one was fooled. The Boy-Who-Lived began to walk down the length of the Hall. As he passed, every bowl and plate exploded, every goblet crumpled, and all the cutlery bent in on itself. The fear of Merlin had finally caught up to Draco Malfoy, but it was far, far too late. No one had ever seen Harry Potter this way, and it was terrifying.

Harry's wand twitched, and Malfoy's knives dissolved into thin air. "I warned you." Harry spoke in a quiet voice, but it carried wonderfully to every single witness. "_Da cultri._" Harry nearly whispered. Knives flew out of the end of his wand, which he had not even bothered to raise. Soon enough, over 50 steel blades waited to rip the Prince of Slytherin to pieces. Malfoy was trembling, but he could not back down. A Malfoy bows to no one, after all.

"_SCUTUM CORPORIS!_" Malfoy yelled, putting up the only shield he knew that might stop the mass of steel heading his way. The knives embedded themselves in the shield, and the metal hissed as if melting. The translucent shield began to crack, but it had served its purpose. The pieces of melted metal fell to the floor, and Malfoy released the breath he had been holding. Harry began to walk toward him again, so Malfoy began to throw the darkest spells he knew. The Boy-Who-Lived continued to get ever closer, swatting away each spell that came his way with his wand the same way one would use a sword to parry.

"_INCENDIO!_" Malfoy yelled, his wand belching out a tremendous burst of flame. Harry didn't even blink as he raised his wand and spoke clearly.

"_Vis aeris._" A gale force wind seemed to overtake the fire from all sides, snuffing it out like a small candle. No one noticed as a little first year Gryffindor ran out of the Hall with his hands on his head.

Both Malfoy and Potter paused, waiting for the other to make another move. Malfoy, between the two of them, had much less patience, and so cracked under the pressure.

"_CONFOSSUS IN PERPETUUM!_" Malfoy yelled and a shuddering red light filled the Hall as a blast of magic sped toward Harry Potter.

"_VIR INGENS PILUM!_" Harry finally yelled back, a bright purple beam of magic issuing forth from his wand.

As the two spells collided, a colossal shockwave swept the Great Hall, blowing everyone not sitting down onto their backs. Daphne fell over, and Astoria was quickly at her side. But her sister was still watching the duel. It was not over. Harry had stood his ground, weathering the blast, fury still in his eyes. Malfoy had been thrown backwards, and his wand now lay a few feet away from him.

"Get up Malfoy! Pick up your wand!" Harry snarled, anger finally breaking his mask. "You want it to be like this? I'll give you everything you deserve!"

Malfoy stirred and raised himself up onto his feet.

"PICK IT UP!" Harry yelled, and every person in the Hall flinched as a thin rivulet of magic flung Malfoy's wand at him. Malfoy caught it against his chest. Both boys cast their spells at the same time. White fire rushed to meet green fire, and the temperature rose as Malfoy poured every ounce of magic he had left into producing true cursed fire. However, as Harry's magic flared to counter Malfoy's last ditch effort, a most unexpected amplified voice boomed out.

"ENOUGH!" Minerva McGonagall screamed over the sounds of fire meeting fire. A tremendous rush of water met both flames, and with a burst of smoke that lit Astoria's robes on fire, the most awe-inspiring duel ever to take place in the Great Hall was no more. Astoria quickly dropped to her knees to put out her robes.

"This is absolutely DISGRACEFUL! How dare you throw such dark magic within the halls of this school! And you!" She turned to Harry. "You are no better! I can feel and even SMELL the magical residue in this place. Not to mention I can see all the damned broken CROCKERY!" Minerva Mcgonagall felt every year her age as she turned to speak to the little boy that had reported the duel. "Thank you, Derek, for-"

"_ACERBA FUNERA!_" Malfoy had cast the last and darkest spell he knew. Harry's eyes shifted and his wand rose, but the dark purple spell, identical to the one Hermione had taken last year, was not intended for him. Instead, purple light reflected off of Astoria's glassy eyes as she watched the curse approach. Harry reacted like he always did; take curse now, figure our consequences later. He was facing Astoria before the curse had even made it halfway to her. He pushed her into his chest and they fell to the ground, but the curse was aimed too low, and hit Harry directly in the back. It felt as though someone had driven a guillotine halfway through his back.

The world slowed down to a crawl, as every eye in the room widened. Mcgonagall's wand came up, and she cast at the same time as Harry.

"_Expelliarmus!_"

"_LANCEA FULGUR!_" Lightning shot out of Harry's wand, splitting before finally three bolts of pure electricity hit Malfoy, lifting him off his feet and throwing him over one hundred feet as he blew straight over the Staff Table and through the window behind it, shattering it completely and falling out of view.

Harry's eyes turned back to Astoria, ensuring her safety. "How's that for Gryffindor?" was all he had time to say before he crumpled into unconsciousness.

A/N: How's THAT shit for ripping Malfoy a new one? Oh man. Now, I know that Harry used a bunch of spells that it seems like he shouldn't know or are too powerful for him, but I shall soon explain. Next, Chapter 7: Recovery. R&R please!

For your reference:

_scutum corporis _= physical shield (it's not creative but the incantation actually sounds cool)

_vis aeris_ = force of the air

_vir ingens pilum _= a great man throws his javelin (haha)

_confossus in perpetuum_ = he was stabbed forever

_acerba funera_ = grievously untimely death (I thought it was funny)

_lancea fulgur _= lance of lightning (i.e. bolt of lightning)


	7. Recovery

Chapter 7: Recovery

A/N: First off, an entertaining anonymous review from "Willy":

"This is inane.  
how can you rightly change all of the characters personalities? Total characterization miss and you've wreaked savage hell all over the diction and plot-line.  
Physically painful getting through the first 2 chapters.  
I would have preferred punching children."

Well! Willy. Surely you noticed my tag in the summary that appears before you click on the story? "grey!not-helpless!more-suave!Harry", is what it says. Of course I have changed the characterization, I never said that I wouldn't. In fact, this being fanfiction, it should have been at least a little expected. Now, I appreciate you using a fancy word like "diction", but I have remained as faithful as possible to the Brit idiosyncrasies (see, I can do it too!). As for the plot-line, I simply haven't discussed a few elements that were present in HBP. If you're referring to the ways I _have_ changed the plot, then I must again remind you that this is fanfiction. If I did not intend to change it, I wouldn't have bothered writing anything at all. As for the pain, I'd suggest making sure the prescription on your glasses is up to date, or failing that, taking some menstrual cramp pills (my ex used to take them, Tylenol is the best). If you find it's more of a psychological problem causing your pain, I've heard that yoga helps, though I wouldn't recommend reading while in downward dog. Finally, I would caution you against punching children, as it is illegal most everywhere, and since it would seem you only bothered to read up to chapter 2, I can only hope you're not already punching children instead of finishing the rest of the story. Cheers!

Anyway!

Glorious battle has been done! But alas, Harry took a tremendous hit for the annoying little girl that hates him. Will she still hate him? I haven't decided yet! I always write these things before the actual chapter! Brilliant call by **mwinter1** that the windows behind the Staff Table have only the Black Lake underneath. Don't go feeling sorry for Malfoy though, git deserves it.

* * *

After first cracking open his eyes, all he could see was blurry white. This was not heaven, but it was entirely too pleasant a temperature for it to be hell. It must be purgatory, Harry concluded. As his head dropped down onto a pillow, he realized that it was most likely the hospital wing. He was aware of a constant pain stemming from his back, and slowly the events of what he assumed was the previous day came back to him. He blinked, and reached blindly to his right for his glasses, which were always in the same place when he ended up in the hospital wing. Harry took a look around as soon as he could see properly. He saw Daphne Greengrass curled up in a chair to his right. She was asleep. Dawn had just barely cracked, so he was careful not to wake her. She looked tired, so he settled for just propping himself up on his elbows and looking at her. She had a straight nose, dotted with a small amount of freckles, straight black shoulder-length hair that was currently clipped back into a bun, and a slim, fit body that curved only in the right places. Her arms were crossed, and Harry pushed out any thoughts of the effect that that had on her cleavage. Sirius business could wait until he was no longer bedridden. But as Daphne began to stir, Harry wondered, could it?

Daphne's dark blue eyes opened, and widened as she saw that Harry was awake. He gestured for her to keep quiet.

"Harry! Oh, I'm so glad you're awake, we thought you weren't going to wake up!" Daphne frowned and teared up slightly.

"I'm alright, don't worry your pretty self, Miss Greengrass" Harry smiled at her. But Daphne wasn't having it this time.

"Alright? You're anything but alright, Potter, you've got an open wound across your back!" Harry began to recall the rest of what had happened to him.

"Astoria! How's Astoria?" Daphne smiled at him sweetly.

"She's just fine, still sleeping in her dorm, probably. Thank you for what you did, if you hadn't jumped in front, she-" it was Harry's turn to not have it this time.

"No no, stop, Daphne," he whispered as she began to cry lightly. He took his wand off the bedside table and waved it, catching the handerkerchief that appeared in his free hand. It was once again decorated in Gryffindor colours. So Harry once again discarded it and conjured another one in green and silver. Daphne laughed lightly at Harry's antics as he wiped her tears away as gently as he could considering he had just woken up.

"So, what happened yesterday?"

Daphne blinked. "Yesterday? Nothing. We waited for you to wake up, went to our classes, the usual. Why?"

Harry blinked in confusion. "Uh… what day is it today?"

"Today's Friday, you've been out for a while."

"Blimey! That's five days!" Daphne nodded. Harry thought about his next words carefully. "So that makes tomorrow Saturday."

"I can see why they put you in Gryffindor" Daphne smirked. Harry smirked back, but it quickly turned into a friendly smile.

"You know, Daphne, I don't know honestly know much about you." Harry looked her in the eye. "But I'd like to know more. Would you come to Hogsmeade with me?"

Daphne blinked in surprise, and she stumbled over her words.

"No one from Hogwarts has to see us. And I promise I won't try anything… untoward. I really just want to get to know you better" Harry smiled honestly. He wasn't the type to force himself on a girl, even in the smallest of ways.

Daphne smiled back at him, but she looked puzzled as well. "But the next Hogsmeade weekend is in two weeks. And what do you mean, no one from Hogwarts has to see us?" Harry was about to launch into a full explanation, but Albus Dumbledore had just walked into the hospital wing.

"Let's just say, I don't need a Hogsmeade weekend to go to Hogsmeade. I'll explain later." Daphne's curiosity was piqued, but she could ask no more, as the Headmaster had arrived.

"Ah, good morning Harry. I have heard that you put on quite a display of magic against young Mr. Malfoy. I am pleased that he survived the encounter, though his unceremonious journey through the window did mean that quite an effort was put into finding and removing him from the Black Lake." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as they almost always did. "I'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened, but first, I believe you have a more pressing problem." The bearded man indicated with a crooked finger to Harry's back, which did admittedly burn with pain. Madam Pomfrey bustled in as she usually did, and began preparing Harry for his healing, while Fawkes appeared on Dumbledore's shoulder in a flash of fire.

"Miss Greengrass, if you wouldn't mind-"

"She can stay if she wants." Harry said through the pain of turning onto his front. Daphne gasped at the large open gash on his back, a thick horizontal line of bloody torn-up flesh.

Fawkes gently flew down to the side of the bed, and began to trill a sad melody while dropping a few tears onto Harry's wound. Harry's eyes widened and he fought the urge to scream in pain. The wound on his back sizzled and steam rose from it as Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore became alarmed.

"Poppy, move back. You too Miss Greengrass. I fear there will be a backlash from Harry rejecting the curse" Dumbledore spoke as he waved his wand over Harry's bed a few times, creating a translucent golden bubble over it. Harry began to grunt and tremble in pain.

"Professor," he rasped out. "S-silencing w-ward." The Headmaster nodded solemnly and waved his wand one more time, putting up a strong Silencing ward over the bed as well. As soon as it had gone up, Harry's mouth opened wide in a silent scream as Daphne looked on in horror. She could only think that the suffering Harry was undergoing right now had been meant for Astoria, and he had gladly taken it upon himself rather than allow her to go through it. She didn't understand, but she was more grateful than she could say nonetheless.

The minutes dragged on, and Harry only continued to writhe and scream soundlessly. Magic had begun arcing off of his body and particularly from his wound, colliding with the barrier that Dumbledore had erected. It was weakening, however, but it was too dangerous to try putting up another one. Soon enough, the silence was broken as the Silencing ward was overwhelmed by the leaking magic. The Headmaster, nurse, and Daphne were forced to listen to Harry's screams of agony. It made them cringe only hearing them. Sometime near the five minute mark, Astoria Greengrass walked into the hospital wing, at first taken aback by the screaming, then, upon seeing Harry thrashing about on the bed, began to cry in sympathy for the unimaginable pain he as no doubt feeling. As the screams subsided, the audience Harry had amassed assumed the hard part was over. But then a sickening crunch signalled the rupturing of the shield, and raw magic exploded outwards, shattering every window in the hospital wing. As the other occupants of the wing began collecting each other off the floor, Harry looked around, able to think clearly for the first time in 10 minutes. He noticed the destruction around him, and with a few waves of his wand, was able to correct some of the damage he had done to the hospital wing, but unfortunately, the windows would have to be conjured and charmed again. So much for "Unbreakable".

Astoria rushed over to the bed just as Harry had pulled himself off and was standing beside it. She hugged him for all she was worth, still crying. Harry grabbed his wand and conjured his usual Gryffindor handkerchief for Astoria.

"I wipe your sister's tears with a Slytherin-coloured hankie, but you," he smirked, "deserve nothing but the best." Harry laughed as he wiped her tears as well. Astoria laughed as well, but swatted away the cloth as soon as Harry had finished with her face.

"Don't push it!" Astoria said. Daphne was standing behind her, watching the two interact happily. She had a feeling that over the next few days, she would grow to really enjoy spending time with Harry Potter, if past experiences were anything to go by, and she was glad that her sister had at least exempted Harry Potter from her hate campaign against Gryffindor. "You're still a dirty snake!" Harry scoffed playfully.

"Well you're still a grubby lion!" Astoria retorted. "I'm serious though. You are." Harry's face lost all emotion as he stepped back from her, pointing his wand in her face. Her eyes widened in fear as Madam Pomfrey gasped, Daphne stared in shock, and Dumbledore prepared himself.

"_ORCHIDEUS!_" Harry shouted, and a bunch of yellow roses sprung out of his wand directly into Astoria's face. He managed to sweep them out of the air and hand them all to her, all while grinning like an idiot. "Got you good, didn't I?" Astoria nodded dumbly. Harry ruffled her hair. "What, you didn't think after all that bother, I was just gonna off you myself?" Harry said, turning slightly to point to his back.

"There's only a small scar, would you look at that!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, all interest in the previous practical joke lost. Harry was glad that he wasn't going to have a huge line across his back. He already had enough scars.

Dumbledore glanced out a hole in the wall that used to be a window. "I would guess that young Mr. Weasley will soon be waking up, which means that Miss Granger will be down here with him shortly. As such, I believe our discussion could be postponed until this evening, say at 9 o'clock?"

"Yes, Professor. I'll be there." Harry nodded. Dumbledore had withheld many things from him in the past, but getting angry here in front of the Greengrass sisters and the school nurse wouldn't do anyone any good. As Dumbledore and Pomfrey left to attend to their other duties, Hermione and Ron entered the wing. As they noticed Daphne and Astoria sitting beside his bed, Ron frowned and Hermione gave a little start.

"Hello Daphne. I'm sorry, I'm not sure who you are." She introduced herself to Astoria, and was not surprised to learn that she was Daphne's sister. The resemblance was striking.

"What are these snakes doing here, Harry?"

"These SNAKES, Ron, are my FRIENDS. If you can't deal with them, you don't have to be here, just like you haven't really been around."

"Well can you blame me?" Ron asked angrily. "After what you did to my sister!" Harry's eyes narrowed, but he let Ron continue. "And even thought I've stuck with you through all this crap, you still don't trust me? These snakes are setting you up, guaranteed. They're probably waiting for the right moment to deliver you to You-Know-Who's doorstep! Especially since you're laid up in here!" Daphne and Astoria had become quite red and had taken out their wands during Ron's righteous speech.

"Ron, first of all, yes, I can and do blame you. I didn't do anything to your sister, she did it to herself when she became convinced that we were meant to be together." Ron's ears turned red at this. "It's true that you've stuck with me through a lot of stuff, but you're not always right Ron! No one is, and you couldn't be more wrong about them. Either of them." He shot a glance toward them, noticing that they had lowered their wands in favour of listening to what Harry had to say. Hermione was also listening attentively. "Daphne's been in here as often as she could be for the last five days. And in case you didn't hear, I took a nearly lethal curse for this one right here" Harry said, pointing to and smiling at Astoria.

Daphne had begun to blush, but it quickly faded when Ron began to speak again. "Exactly, Harry! They were watching you, and writing home to daddy about how you're out cold and You-Know-Who can come and snatch you! Don't you see?" Daphne jumped out of her chair, once again pulling her wand.

"You will _not_ call my father a Death Eater, and you will _especially_ not accuse my sister and I of being Death Eaters, you self-interested tosser!" Daphne said venomously to the red-haired boy.

Ron angrily pulled his wand and shot off the first spell that flew into his head. "_STUPEFY!_"

Harry saw what was about to happen, but Ron, just like Malfoy, would not be extended the privilege of cursing Daphne Greengrass. His hands came up, and, his wand forgotten on the beside table, a flex of his left hand caused an arc of magic to branch out into a shield that promptly reflected Ron's Stunner right back at him, causing to fall over in a heap. Hermione _Ennervated_ him, but launched into a tirade as he stood back up.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, what is wrong with you? You have completely lost it! First act like a total prat on the train, then you say all those horrible things to me, you stop talking to or caring about Harry, and now you attack one of his friends? For no REASON? Don't you dare ever try to ask me out again. You want us to get to know each other better? I think I have just found out everything I ever wanted to know about you! You are the most insensitive, stupid brat of a person I have ever had the DISPLEASURE of meeting!" Hermione shrieked at him, and delivered a solid left hook that split his lip and sent him sprawling painfully into a coat hanger. She stormed out without another look back.

A/N: Not a lot of action in there, but it is all set in the hospital wing, to be fair. Finally, Harry's making some headway with Daphne! Also, at the suggestion of **wichitatwister**, Ronniekins has tasted Hermione's left hook. Mazel tov, Ronniekins! Next, Chapter 8: Explanations. Things will be revealed!

Kindly R&R! Feel free to leave me nasty things to pick apart and throw back at you cleverly! :D


	8. Explanations

Chapter 8: Explanations

A/N: Yes, Malfoy is _still_ alive. He will play a part later in the story, a grudge like his is hard to come by, but he won't be the same Malfoy.

**mwinter1**: Malfoy's not doing done flung around and made a fool of, he's just laid up in St. Mungo's for a while. There will be someone along shortly to accost Harry for his actions, but Harry will return fire and the shit will hit the fan! (hehe)

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Harry walked out of the hospital wing by himself a few hours later, feeling well rested due to a Pepper-Up potion that, while disgusting taste-wise, had proven quite effective. He still had more than a few hours to waste until it was time for his meeting with Dumbledore. He decided that perhaps he could go flying, something he hadn't done in a long time. Steering himself towards Gryffindor Tower, Harry was deep in thought. He thought about Malfoy, Astoria, Ron, Hermione, Tracey, and, of course, Daphne. He nearly walked into Ron, who was himself exiting the Tower. They ignored each other with angry glares. Harry was particularly disturbed by the loss, it seemed, of both of his best friends. Ron's head had become permanently affixed inside his arse, and Hermione always seemed too distraught to talk to or even to be around. As he was walking out from behind the Fat Lady's portrait holding his Firebolt, Harry ran into one of the people he least wanted to see.

"MR. POTTER! I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU!" Minerva McGonagall said harshly. "We still haven't had a change to discuss the events of 5 days ago. Honestly, Mr. Potter, never in all my time have I ever seen such a ridiculous and ill-advised, bullheaded display of senseless duelling! I shudder to think what you would've done to each other if I hadn't intervened-"

"Eventually, Professor, I think he would have died." The Transfiguration Professor blinked, refusing to believe that such a thing had really come from Harry Potter's mouth. "You don't know the whole story, and it's not really my story to tell, but I think I wouldn't be betraying confidences if I said that Malfoy… has attacked Daphne in the past. I stopped him the last time as well, and gave him a warning. He chose to ignore my warning. The only thing I regret is breaking the dishes." Harry smiled, but still looked sheepish. McGonagall shook her head in exasperation.

"I will leave it in the hands of the Headmaster what will happen as a… result of that duel. I do hope you manage to stay out of trouble and particularly out of the hospital wing."

"Yes, Professor, absolutely no trouble." Harry smirked, and his teacher walked away muttering about Marauders and James Potter.

Harry walked on towards the Quidditch Pitch, stopping to mount his broom as soon has he had passed the doors of the school. As he soared higher into the air, he revelled in the feel of the air rushing past him, a feeling he had missed. Harry swept into the pitch, ducking to fly through a goal post, and beginning to accelerate straight up. As the air gets thinner, Harry looks over his head to the ground, and begins the breakneck trip straight down. He is unaware of a certain blonde Slytherin that has once again found herself observing Harry Potter, but this time has brought her black-haired best friend in tow. Tracey and Daphne both gasped as Harry pulled forward only feet from the ground, executing a roll to disperse some of this downward momentum. He began to speed away from them, once again climbing, then diving, weaving through every single goalpost, buzzing the empty stands, and finally coming to rest high above the ground. Harry had spotted a familiar couple of girls watching him from the tunnel that went toward the locker rooms. He thought it was perhaps time to scare the living daylights out of them. As he nudged his powerful broom into a dive, he began to aim himself on a perfect collision course. It would be close, but would leave them trembling in fear and Harry trembling in laughter. He was hurtling towards them, and they had finally noticed. Tracey nudged Daphne, and Daphne nudged Tracey as they eyes began to widen and they considered their options. Their thinking was short lived, however, as Harry was coming in way too hot for any action to be taken. He twisted and spun in mid-air, inertia carrying him forward despite the fact that he had turned his back directly to the girls. He applied as much willpower as he had to the broom, and the thrust was incredible. If Harry had ever flown on a plane, he would have compared it to an airplane landing. The bristles of his Firebolt stopped mere inches away from Tracey's face, and a short blast of hot air hit her as they cooled off after the strain. Harry swivelled to face the girls.

"Sorry about that. I get carried away sometimes. I see some pretty faces and I forget what I'm doing" Harry chuckled as the girls huffed indignantly.

"Pretty face! I'd like to think I'm more than just a pretty face!" Tracey said as she began to advance on the boy.

"Oh yeah, sure, but you won't be after I'm done with you" Harry smirked, and quickly flew a half circle around Tracey and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her onto the broom, and putting both hands securely over her legs in order to grip the handle.

"W-what are you dooooooooo-" Tracey screamed as they lifted sharply off the ground, not stopping to admire Daphne's shocked face as Harry took the blonde Slytherin on the ride of her life, or potentially death. He once again buzzed the stands, causing Tracey to scream and cover her eyes, but she quickly uncovered them as she saw only sky and felt her stomach remain a few feet behind her. "Harry, we're gonna fall off!"

"No, but we will FALL!" Harry yelled above the wind as he only went higher and higher, finally cutting the thrust, leaving them a split second of zero gravity before the broom flipped over and shot straight back towards earth. Tracey screamed in earnest for all she was worth, as she watched her life potentially slip away in the form of oncoming ground. Harry pulled up and executed a perfect barrel roll, despite the added weight of another person, coming to rest directly beside a slightly frowning Daphne. Tracey slipped off the broom and laid on her back on the grass, panting and sweating, wide-eyed.

"Never", she gasped, "again." Harry noticed Daphne's disappointed look and Tracey did too. He winked at the blonde before floating himself behind Daphne, quietly floating his Firebolt into position to pick her up. He was now right behind her, and their heads were at the same level. She had noticed the broom.

"What's wrong, Miss Greengrass? Disappointed that your friend got special treatment, and you didn't?" Daphne's frown deepened, and she crossed her arms.

"No! What makes you say that?"

"Oh nothing, just a hunch I had. Don't worry. Your ride will be even more… SPECIAL!" Daphne's head began to turn, but it was too late as the Firebolt jerked upward and Harry encircled her waist. She squealed like a little girl as she was whisked away at a breakneck pace. They tore towards Hogwarts faster than Daphne had ever moved in her life, even in her broom lessons in first year. Tracey could still see them as they seemed ready to crash into the Astronomy Tower, but Harry pulled up at the last second, almost skimming the pointy tower.

Daphne continued to whoop and scream as Harry flew past various towers, flying like he had never flown before. Daphne found herself admiring his powerful arms as they pulled the handle of the Firebolt in the right direction.

"Last stop!" Harry yelled as the Great Hall came into view. He stopped and rolled in place once, before pausing to let Daphne catch her breath. He saw the now-repaired window that one Draco Malfoy had been thrown out of, and was pleased to see a long drop into the lake, at least 50 feet.

"Damn, that's a long way! I guess it's true what they say. Be kind to people on the way up, you'll see them on the way down! Right Daphne?" But before Daphne had even opened her mouth to respond, the Firebolt jerked again and accelerated towards the Quidditch Pitch, where there was undoubtedbly an impatient blonde waiting for them. Harry landed, and Daphne tumbled off much like Tracey had. The other girl chuckled as she helped pull her to her feet. They began to walk out of the pitch, Harry in between the two girls. They both began to complain about how their poor weak hearts couldn't take thrills like that, but Harry wouldn't have it.

"Oh come on, that was barely anything!" he laughed, smacked both their bottoms at the same time, enjoying the feeling perhaps a little too much, as the girls squealed and began to hit him over the head, as he sprinted away.

It was a tired trio of two Slytherins and a Gryffindor that entered the Entrance Hall panting, after a good chase on foot back to the school. None of them noticed an incensed Narcissa Malfoy slightly to their left.

"Potter." She intoned. Harry's head snapped up.

"Hello. Always a pleasure," Harry replied, sparing a look at his two female companions. "Could we meet up later, I have some to take care of." Harry said, grimacing slightly. Daphne and Tracey nodded their assent and walked off further into the school. Harry begrudgingly turned away from their retreating behinds. "Why are you here, Lady Malfoy?"

Narcissa hissed in anger. "I am HERE, Potter, to declare a Blood Feud on behalf of my son! You _dare_ to mistreat a scion of an Ancient and Most Noble house in such a foul manner, you stupid-"

"ENOUGH!" Harry's voice reverberated around the small but high-ceilinged room, giving him an imposing air as he approached the blonde woman. She looked taken aback at his authoritarian tone. "Is it not true that you married Lucius Malfoy under a marriage contract?"

"That is irrevelant Potter, don't you play games with-"

"Shut up! I asked you a question, and you would do WELL to answer it!"

"Yes, I did in fact, but that is not any of your business, you insolent little-"

"Once again, SHUT. UP. That marriage contract contains a clause that allows for the annulment of the marriage should our dear Lucius be found guilty of an indictable offence. Since he is most clearly in Azkaban, he has been found GUILTY!" Harry nearly yelled at her. Narcissa paled, if that was even possible considering her complexion.

The matriarch of the Malfoy House had never been so scared in her life. She felt she knew what was about to come out of the stupid boy's mouth, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be party streamers. She could already begin to feel her life crashing down around her.

"Which means that annulment of your marriage is now possible! As you may or may not know," Harry hissed venomously, "the death of Sirius Black has made me the head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black." Narcissa swayed on her feet, her worst fears coming true. "I see you understand what that means. I hope Lucius was terrible in bed. I hereby declare the marriage of Narcissa Black to Lucius Malfoy dissolved, null and void under all aspects of the law." Narcissa wept, not for her husband, as he was never her choice, but she wept instead for her power and for her wealth. "Judging by your bitter tears, Narcissa, you know that this means that the entire Malfoy fortune has transferred into my possession. Draco will be pleased with what I do with it. Good day. I would suggest getting off your knees, the floor is rarely washed. Have a terrible day." Harry turned and walked briskly away, sparing only a moment of pity for the woman who had birthed Draco Malfoy.

Harry entered the Great Hall, seeing that dinner had already begun. He had promised to catch up to Tracey and Daphne, but the conversation with the ex-Malfoy had taken longer than he had intended. He walked confidently toward the Slytherin table, checking his wand and locating his favourite Slytherins.

"You know," he said, coming up behind them and putting an arm across each of their shoulders, "Behind Malfoy, you two just might be my favourite Slytherins." The girls laughed and made space for him in between them. A number of Slytherins looked at Harry in disgust, but it was clear that the epic tale of Malfoy versus Potter had made the rounds in the Slytherin common room.

"So what did she want?" Daphne asked Harry. Tracey looked up in interest.

"Oh, nothing much. She tried to declare a blood feud on me." Harry chortled. The girls stared in shock.

"Then I dissolved her marriage to Lucius Malfoy, and confiscated the entire Malfoy fortune." He smirked as they nearly fell off their seats, and one Pansy Parkinson looked up from her meal.

"Rubbish, Potter! You can't do that! Only her head of House can do that!"

Harry appeared to consider Parkinson's statement. "Yes… you're looking at him! I'm not at all sorry to say, Pansy, that poor Draco, is, well, poor!" Harry burst out laughing, and Pansy drew her wand, only to find Daphne's wand in her face.

"Do it, and they'll be scraping your face off the wall like off a used cauldron!" Daphne snarled, and Pansy sat down in fear. Harry grinned at her and kissed Daphne on the cheek.

"Thanks babe, brilliant." Harry turned away to talk to Tracey, but he knew Daphne was blushing into her food.

The rest of dinner was uneventful for the most part. Harry said goodnight to his two Slytherin friends and began to walk towards the part of the school that housed the Headmaster's office. The gargoyle sprang aside even before had had time to remember the ridiculous password, and Harry trudged up the steps, not really looking forward to this meeting. As he approached the closed door, he could make out two voices coming from the other side.

"I demand that you punish that whelp! Draco has still not woken up, and you have no _idea _what he just did to Narcissa! He annulled the Malfoy-Black marriage!" Harry heard Dumbledore chuckle, and imagined the old man was stroking his beard.

"Ah, a very curious predicament Miss Black now finds herself in."

"There is nothing curious about it, Headmaster. It is only outrageous, he is just as bigheaded as his damned father was, he was a stupid idiot too, I bet he's dancing a jig in his grave seeing his blasted spawn destroy the Malfoy name."

"Continue to talk about my father, Snivellus. I dare you. You won't like what happens." Harry spoke, walking into the room. Dumbledore did not even glance at him. The old man had probably known he was there all along.

"Why you little shite! I'll-" Severus began to yell, pulling out his wand. Harry was much faster, however, and Harry banished him into one of the chintzy armchairs that Dumbledore was so fond of, but the force of the spell was too great, and Snape flipped straight over the chair. As he grabbed for the backrest, he pulled himself up. "I'LL HAVE YOU EXPELLED, YOU DEMON-SPAWN!"

"Now now, Severus. You know that his father is a touchy subject with Mr. Potter. I feel I am within my rights to say that you brought that upon yourself. Now, if you would please, Harry and I must have a rather long chat." Snape growled and continued to curse under his breath, but swept out of the office soon enough, only pausing to give Harry another dirty look. Dumbledore sat in his usual seat, and Harry took one of the armchairs facing his desk.

"Now Harry, if you would please start from the beginning of the story with Mr. Malfoy." Harry nodded heavily and began to explain to the Headmaster what had happened on the train. Dumbledore frowned heavily and sighed as Harry detailed Malfoy's actions. He then chuckled upon first hearing of the chance encounter between Harry and Malfoy in front of the Slytherin common room, but the laughter died in his throat as Harry described the manner of spells that had been thrown around like a toddler throws toys. However, Dumbledore did not interrupt, he merely waved for Harry to continue. So continue Harry did, explaining the dramatic finale of the duel, as well as noting that Tracey has witnessed it and had to be apprised of the entire truth as a result. Harry mostly skimmed over the occurrences of the first Hogsmeade weekend, only detailing Malfoy's involvement in the incident in the Three Broomsticks. Dumbledore outright laughed when Harry recounted some of the things he had said to young Mr. Malfoy. Harry did not mention the dinner he had had with his Slytherin friends, except to say that Dobby had become his bonded elf, in, uh, the hallway, due to a chance meeting. Harry cut no corners in giving every detail of his second duel with Malfoy, including what he had seen as he had entered the Great Hall, and down to the appearance of the spells Malfoy had used. Dumbledore once again frowned deeply as Harry recounted the final moments of the duel, and the blond ponce's last attempt to do some damage. He glossed over his stay in hospital wing, the Headmaster having been present for all of the important occurrences.

Harry finished his story with a long exhale. "-and if he attacks Daphne or Astoria again, I will kill him, Professor, no questions asked." Dumbledore sighed again as he prepared his own little speech.

"Harry. I must admit I am concerned about the path you have chosen for yourself. While I admire the progress you have made in terms of both power and skill, magically speaking, surely you have noticed the raw magic being discharged from your body? The elves tell me that the dishes they collected were permanently broken, and not even elf magic was able to repair them-" Harry began to apologize, but Dumbledore raised his hand and continued. "There is no need to apologize, Hogwarts can afford more dishes, that is hardly the point," the Headmaster chuckled, but then paused. "I have seen a young man such as yourself rise out of an abusive and loveless childhood and become a very powerful wizard." Harry's thoughts immediately sprang to Voldemort. Who better to use as an example in order to stop Harry from learning more dark magic? "I can see on your face that you already know of whom I speak." Harry nodded. "Harry, you must _not_ fall to the dark side. You know the prophecy," Harry nodded again, "and while it is not clearly defined what you must do, it is clear that should you be turned to the darkness, all hope will be lost for our world. I implore you, Harry, do not stray from the light. Renounce dark magic."

Harry paused, collecting his artillery. "Sir, I've never been completely honest and straightforward with you because I was afraid of what your reaction might be, and also partly because I didn't want to hear more lies from you. But I can see that time is past."

Fire in the hole. "So let me tell you, that is the biggest load of shit I have seen since Buckbeak's in third year." Dumbledore's brows shot up, but his grandfatherly smile did not disappear. "You kept the prophecy from me, you kept secret everything I should have known from the beginning. I have some respect left for you, Professor. Enough to at least treat you with courtesy. But I'm tired of being under your thumb. If you want me to be a part of this war, to run right into Voldemort's sitting room and have tea with him with a side of deadly curses, you will be straight with me, and you will accept that I fight for keeps." Dumbledore appeared deep in thought, and Harry thought that perhaps tonight would be his last night at Hogwarts.

"I understand." Dumbledore spoke, much to Harry's surprise. "I will tell you everything I know. It would be wise to start from the beginning." And so Dumbledore sunk further into his chair, and told the tale of Tom Marvolo Riddle. After a short while, Dumbledore felt it was necessary to show rather than tell, so after pulling enough memories out and into his Pensieve, the Headmaster invited Harry to enter it and see what the much older man knew rather than simply hear it. They spent hours together in the Pensieve, seeing Dumbledore's version of Hagrid's expulsion, the original foretelling of the prophecy, as well as Tom Riddle's rise to power the first time, even showing Harry the complete version of his parents' last living day. Harry shed bitter tears over their deaths once again, but he soldiered on, knowing that the Headmaster was not even close to being finished. The memory switched to a younger Professor Slughorn being asked about Horcruxes, incredibly dark objects that Harry had only briefly come across in books he had found in the Room of Requirement. Harry was shocked to learn that Voldemort had created 7 horcruxes.

"Shit. Is that even possible?"

With a serious look on his face, Dumbledore replied. "Neither you nor Tom Riddle have ever been fans of the possible, opting instead to explore… rather uncharted territories." The memories played out as Dumbledore showed Harry the Horcruxes he had found, and he explained to him as well his suspicions regarding the diary, as well as a ring that Dumbledore had recovered after many hours spent removing enchantments and curses on Marvolo Gaunt's tiny house. After showing Harry that memory as well, Dumbledore and Harry fell out of the Pensieve for the first time in nearly four hours.

Dumbledore sighed. "Well Harry, there you have it. The entirety of my knowledge on this subject. I hope I have sated your curiosity." Harry could only nod dumbly he reflected on all he had just seen and heard. He did not even notice as Dumbledore withdrew a small potion flask from his desk. "This is a Restfulness Tonic, I would advise drinking it. It will make you feel as if you have had a full night's sleep, considering that it is approximately 4 o'clock in the morning." Harry thanked the Professor, and turned to leave.

"Harry. I trust that you can get back to Gryffindor Tower discreetly?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "You are after all, as Severus is so fond of saying, your father's son." Harry smirked and left without another word, pulling the Marauder's Map out of his pocket.

A/N: Whoo! A long one! The longest one yet, actually! 3769 words to be exact! Not a lot of action here, but this chapter had to be done for the good of the story. I didn't bash Dumbledore a lot, but he will receive his share for not sharing one last important thing with Harry. I'm sure you know what I mean. Next, Chapter 9: Hogsmeade, Take 2

R&R, please and thanks!


	9. Hogsmeade, Take 2

Chapter 9: Hogsmeade, Take 2

A/N:

**timber**: Hear me roar! I changed the blimey, yeah, I'll give you that one :P. But to be fair, Harry does tell Dumbles that he just spouted shit! Thanks for the feedback!

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Having taken the Headmaster's Restfulness Tonic, Harry truly did feel as if he had had a good night's sleep, and he resolved to find out how he could brew this potion, although he was sure that there were, as will all good things, terrible side effects that came with overindulgence. He found himself pacing the school, waiting for dawn and breakfast, when suddenly he had an idea. Why not use this time to train a little bit while there was no one looking for him? So Harry ran to the seventh floor, and surprisingly, the door was already forming as he approached. He entered to find a mostly empty room, with an armchair and an end table at one end. A lone book sat on the end table. Harry, of course, immediately recognized the book, being the one that Harry had taken from the Black family library at 12 Grimmauld Place. _The Olde, Dark, and Forgotten: A Compediume of Magicks Most Anciente_. There was no author, but Harry didn't find that odd, not many people would want to take responsibility for compiling an instruction manual like this. The book was a dream come true for Harry. Each spell had a page dedicated to it, denoting its incantation, wand motion if necessary, effects, duration, possible side effects for the caster, and where possible, a brief history. The book was not organized in any identifiable way, so Harry generally flipped through it randomly until a spell caught his eye. Well, they _all_ caught his eyes, but some more than others. He sat down in the armchair and began to look. He noticed that there were empty pages at the end, so, before he could forget, Harry began searching for the spells he had seen Malfoy use. S_cutum corporis_ was, he was not surprised, a shield that specialized in blocking projectiles, but that was prone to cracking, and was especially fragile when subjected to magical attacks. Apparently, it could be formed into any necessary shape, and did not necessarily have to surround the caster. _Confossus in perpetuum_, the spell that Malfoy had fired at him as a finisher, was a nasty one. It was meant to simulate being constantly stabbed at the point of impact. Harry grimaced, but stood up. His wand snapped into his hand, and a dummy materialized close to Harry.

"_Confossus in perpetuum_" Harry spoke calmly, and red bolt of magic shot forward into the dummy. A deep hole appeared in its torso, and it seemed to pulsate. Harry frowned and cancelled the spell, also repairing the dummy. "Nasty bugger."

The only other spell of Malfoy's that Harry remembered was the purple slashing one that Hermioned had taken a few months back at the Ministry. According to his book, the spell simply destroyed any living tissue it came into contact with. Harry turned to the dummy, and cast. "_Acerba funera._" The purple wave of magic hit the dummy, but nothing happened. Harry slapped his forehead. Living tissue! Harry focused his energy, flicked his wand, and conjured a guinea pig. It began to scurry around the floor, so Harry quickly took aim. "_Acerba funera,_" Harry cast again, and this time the purple light hit the small animal head on, and it slid to a halt, twitching. Harry winced in sympathy as some blood poured out of the pig's mouth, and it stopped twitching. He vanished the corpse and sat down for one more spell before he went to breakfast. "_Ardens carnis_" was known as the _Burning of the Flesh_, which gave Harry as much information as he needed. As disgusting as he had a feeling this was going to be, he conjured another guinea pig, and cast the Flesh Burning curse. The guinea pig squealed in pain as its skin caught fire and flaked off quickly. Harry felt pity for the animal, and cast "c_onfossus in perpetuum_" in an attempt to put it out of its misery quickly. It didn't help his pity much, though, as the little pig's body was torn in half by the force of continuous stabbing. Harry vanished the remains as he thanked Merlin he hadn't eaten anything in a while. Harry had almost exited the Room, as he had a great thought. He summoned to book to him, and shrunk it to the fit in his pocket. It would make an informative read if he was every bored, besides, no one else should have it. It wasn't exactly full of household charms.

At the breakfast table, Harry looked around to once again acquire the lay of the land. Ginny and Ron were both giving him dirty looks, so he tried to block out their stares as Hermione sat beside him.

"Hello Harry."

"Hey 'Mione. How are you?" Harry asked, but didn't turn to her as Daphne had just sat down across the Hall.

"I'm alright, I just can't help but worry about Ginny."

"Worry about her?"

"Well, not _her_, but you, more like. Her and Ron are always staring at you like they're going to try and kill you any time now and-." Hermione began to rant about the many things they could do to Harry, how they could ambush him in the halls, sabotage his potions, trip him in the shower, and-

"Hermione! Don't worry about me, I can handle myself. Besides, I don't exactly hang around them much anymore. They'd have to go out of their way to hurt me." Harry was confident that he shouldn't be worried about the youngest two Weasleys. He quickly finished eating the roll in his hand, and stood up, walking over to the Slytherin table, poking both Daphne and Tracey in the side, making them jump and squeal. He laughed at them as a seventh year Slytherin boy stood up and trained his wand on him.

"Don't touch our women, Potter!" Harry snorted at him.

"These aren't your women any more than I'm the Queen of England. In fact," Harry leans forward, putting his head level with Daphne's and Tracey's, "these are _my_ women." He pushed their heads together, and they kissed him on either cheek. "I've stolen them from you. Deal with it. Oh and put that thing away, you'll hurt yourself." Harry had completely cowed the boy, and he was not happy about it, but he seemed smart enough to know that Harry would tear him apart if he did anything, so he sat down and shut up.

"So, Daphne, are you ready to go?"

"In a minute, yes."

"Go where?" Tracey asked.

"To Hogsmeade," Daphne answered. "Would you like to come?"

"No, thank you, I have work to catch up on, but how in the name of Merlin are you getting to Hogsmeade? The Hogwarts gates are closed."

"I don't need a door to leave a room." Harry said, refusing to say anymore. Both girls looked at him, confused, but they shrugged and finished their meals.

"Alright, well, I'll be seeing you two later, don't get her in trouble, Harry." Tracey winked at Harry, but he just shrugged and made a show of running his eyes up and down her body, stopping occasionally. Tracey blushed and turned around, heading to the library. Another victory for Sirius business. He took Daphne by the waist, surprising her, but she didn't complain. She liked the confident Harry Potter, always knowing where was going and what he was doing. Harry steered them towards a less-used wing of the school, one that Daphne did not recognize.

"Harry, where are we going?"

"To Hogsmeade. There's a tunnel that starts under the Whomping Willow, and goes to the Shrieking Shack." Daphne stopped walking, but Harry nudged her along.

"What? First of all, what? And second, how the blazing hell do you know what?" As Harry led her toward the Whomping Willow's courtyard, he explained the story of the Marauders, how they had been friends throughout their school years, and the greatest pranksters that ever lived.

"My father, James Potter, was one of them. Then there was Remus Lupin-"

"The DADA teacher from third year! I liked him!"

"I did too. Then there was Sirius Black-" Daphne grinned already having heard from Harry about his godfather. "And… Peter Pettigrew." Harry's expression darkened and his mood soured. "He was the one who betrayed my parents to Voldemort." Daphne shuddered a bit at the name, but she didn't say anything. Harry snapped out of his funk, realizing what a terrible companion he was being. "Merlin, sorry Daphne. Let's talk about where we're going. What would you like to do?"

"Well, I've been pretty much everywhere in Hogsmeade there is to go, so I guess if you have any favourites, Harry, we can go there." Harry shook his head.

"No no, I've been everywhere too. Say, have you been to any restaurants that you particularly liked?"

"In Hogsmeade? Hm-"

"No, anywhere in Wizarding Britain." Daphne frowned, deep in thought.

"Well, there is this really nice one called _The Crystal Ball_, the whole place is made out of crystal, but it's so expensive. My family isn't exactly poor, and we've only been once."

"Sounds like a nice place. Do you want to go?" Daphne's looked at him in shock. She opened her mouth to reply, but he waved her off. They had arrived at their destination. "Think about it while I go get crushed by a stump with an attitude. Excuse me." Harry left Daphne's side and began to run at top speed toward the tree, but the Whomping Willow was a harsh mistress today. A branch clips Harry's shoulder and throws him a few feet, thankfully closer to the point that will, upon being pressed, calm the aggressive tree. Harry scrambles up the roots as Daphne watches, struck dumb. The branches stop moving, and the Boy-Who-Lived waves Daphne forward. As they make their way through the tunnel, Harry recalls their previous conversation.

"So, _The Crystal Ball_?"

"It's nice of you to offer, Harry, but it's so terribly expensive, and we don't have reservations, and we don't have a way of getting there either." Harry nodded, agreeing that it was impossible, but secretly formulating a brilliant plan. He was going to do this right. Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, they came out into the Shrieking Shack, and Daphne looked around. "Harry, what are all these scratches on the walls? And floor? Everywhere?"

"Oh, uh, maybe a wild animal got in here and tore it all up." Harry lied, surprised as how smoothly he had played it off. Just like Sirius would have. But, Harry knew, it was a double-edged sword, and he resolved to tell Daphne everything later.

They walked out of the Shack, and headed towards the village of Hogsmeade. They made their way into Zonko's at Harry's request, and began to look around. Daphne had become distracted by a trick wand that turned into a chicken when she tried to use a spell. This was Harry's window of opportunity.

"Dobby." He called quietly. The little elf appeared with a soft pop and Harry immediately told him to be quiet. "Dobby, I need you to find a restaurant called _The Crystal Ball_. It's somewhere in England. I need you to go there, and buy the place. Here, take this," Harry pulled out the bottomless money pouch that he had gotten from the goblins. "Buy it, don't give up until I own it all. They also probably have a VIP room. Clear the reservation in there, and put me down instead. Do you understand?" Dobby nodded vigorously. "Great. When you're done, come back to me with two butterbeers, but don't say anything about the restaurant. Oh! Wait!" Harry reached into the pouch and pulled out two handfuls of galleons, then nodded at the elf. Dobby's ears flapped as he nodded and disappeared. Daphne, having just turned the corner, did not see the elf. "Hey Daphne. Fun stuff right?" He smiled at her.

"Yeah, some of these things are hilarious." They left the joke shop, and Harry led Daphne to Honedukes. She looked around, having never seen the store so wide open and not congested with Hogwarts students. She began to pick and choose different kinds of candies happily. Harry put 10 gold coins on the table and indicated to the manager of the shop that he was not to allow Daphne to pay for her sweets.

"You can keep whatever she doesn't spend today." Harry said to him, and the portly man nodded his understanding greedily. Harry then joined Daphne in trying confections he had never seen before.

After roughly two hours, Harry and Daphne felt that they had picked out enough candy to last them a long time, and came to the counter. The Slytherin placed her bag of sweets on the counter, but the man told her that her candy was already paid for. "But, how is that possible?" She looked at Harry, who shrugged and smiled. As they walked out, Harry left another two galleons on the nearest shelf. If he had the money, why not contribute to businesses that served the community well? Harry chuckled to himself.

"That was sweet you Harry, thank you." Daphne said to him.

"How sweet?" Harry said, eyeing her bag of candy.

Daphne rolled her eyes at him. "You're impossible!"

"Yeah, I am. I survived the Killing Curse." Harry said, hoping to shock her. It worked, as her mouth hung open and she began stammering apologies.

"OH Merlin, I'm so sorry Harry, I didn't mean it like that." Harry grinned at her until she noticed, and stopped talking. "You're having me on. UGH! You prat!" She screeched and punched him in the arm. Harry laughed good-naturedly, and after a moment, she joined in too. Suddenly, a small pop announced the arrival of Dobby, holding two butterbeers.

"Master Harry Potter sir, I is bringing butterbeers for you and your miss." Daphne reddened slightly at Dobby's statement. Harry took the bottles, trying not to laugh. "Here Dobby, could you put these in our rooms? This one's mine. Thanks." Harry handed his elf the two bags of sweets that they had amassed. Dobby bowed and popped away. Harry handed Daphne one of the bottles.

"You assumed I'd be thirsty?" Harry looked at Daphne.

"No, I assumed _we'd _be thirsty. And… aren't you?" Daphne gave a tiny smile and took a sip. As they walked, Daphne moved a little closer to Harry. This did not go unnoticed. They talked about anything and everything, Daphne's childhood, their experiences at school, what she had heard about Harry, which turned out to be a hilarious topic of conversation. Daphne mentioned food off-hand, and Harry knew it was time for the clincher.

"Yeah, I'm hungry too." Harry stooped to pick up a rock, drew his wand and tapped it. "_Portus._" Daphne gasped.

"Harry! Won't you get caught? And where are you going?"

Harry smirked. "It turns out that being a Head of House has lots of perks. And the question is, where are _we_ going?" He grabbed her hand and they disappeared.

The maitre d' at _The Crystal Ball_ was having a rough day. A few hours earlier, an excitable house elf had come in, claiming that his master had sent him to buy the entire damn place! It was a ridiculous idea until the elf turned a small pouch inside out and poured out more galleons that any one of the staff had seen in their lives. The owner was quickly summoned and nearly had a heart attack upon seeing the pile of gold occupying a good portion of the floor. He went home early that day, roughly 900,000 galleons richer. The flash of a portkey brought him out of his reverie, and he scowled as two casually dressed teenagers appeared.

Daphne was slack jawed. They had portkeyed directly into _The Crystal Ball_, one of the most expensive restaurants in Wizarding London.

"Can I help you?"

"Certainly. I have a reservation in the VIP room."

"No, you do not. That room is reserved for the new owner today. Run along now." The man said, clearly irritated. As he spoke, the same elf from before appeared, and the young man raised his hand, palm open wide, as the elf tossed him the same little black pouch that had released an unimaginable amount of gold earlier that day. He pocketed the pouch and looked the maitre d' in the eye.

"I think you should check again," Harry said, glancing at his nametag, "Steven." The man was quick to escort them to the VIP room, not daring to say another word.

"Here are the menus. An associate of mine will be along with the wine list shortly, sir." The man trembled as Harry looked him over and nodded. Daphne by this point was completely confused, not to mention in awe of the room they were in. Absolutely everything was, as she had said, made of crystal. The table, the walls, ceiling, floor, and chairs, though they had a sparkling fabric on top that was soft and fluffy. It was absolutely spectacular.

"Uh, Harry, what- I- I don't even know what to ask first. How?" Harry chuckled at her confusion.

"Nothing complicated. I got us a reservation here, since you said that you really liked it." Daphne nodded, but she wasn't finished.

"But, that man said that this room was reserved for the… No." Daphne's eyes shot open in understanding. "You didn't."

"I didn't what?" Harry asked her innocently as he browsed the menu.

"You didn't buy this restaurant! You couldn't have! That's-that's-" She was beyond flustered.

Harry shrugged, smiling slightly. "Impossible?" A waited walked in, holding a parchment with a list of wines. Harry blinked and handed the parchment to Daphne, who looked it over, still shaking her head in disbelief.

"The 1972 Cabernet, please." Harry knew absolutely nothing about wine, so it only made sense to let Daphne choose. She apparently knew more than he did. As the waiter left, her head dropped into her hands. "Why, Harry? Why did you buy the most expensive restaurant I've ever seen?"

Harry shrugged again. "I needed it, so I bought it." Harry smiled a lopsided grin as Daphne blinked at him.

"What do you mean, you needed it?"

"Well, it's where you wanted to go, right? And you said that we would need a reservation, and I know that these places get booked way before the actual date, so I bought it all to make sure we'd have a reservation." Harry explained nonchalantly. Daphne scoffed, but couldn't stop herself from bursting out laughing. She laughed so hard she cried. Harry grinned and drew his wand, conjuring a handkerchief, in red and gold as usual. Upon seeing him once again conjure another handkerchief, Daphne couldn't take it anymore and laughed even harder. She continued to laugh on and off until it was time to order. They each spoke what they wanted, and the food appeared in front of them, in crystal dishes, not surprisingly. At least they were faithful to the theme. The two teens ate, sharing smiles and small talk. Daphne tried to uncork the bottle of wine, but ended up accidentally flinging it onto the floor, where it shattered. Immediately a waiter rushed in and began to vanish the mess, apologizing all the while. For what… Harry didn't know. Another bottle was quickly brought in, already uncorked. They kept on talking about their lives, discussing their friends, enemies, and classes. Their first time on the Hogwarts Express. Harry told her about the impression Malfoy had made, and she snorted. It seemed that the blond ponce was hardwired to be an arse and a snob.

"Probably came out of his dear mother looking down his nose at her for getting him dirty." Daphne laughed so loud and so long, Harry thought perhaps the wine had been a mistake. She eventually calmed down enough to start on her dessert, an _exquisite collection of assorted truffles dusted with pure cocoa_. Harry had grimaced at the name, but they turned out to be pretty good regardless. Harry had finished chewing one of his truffles, when he noticed an odd silence. Probably due to the fact that Daphne had fallen asleep in her seat, her head drooping slightly to her left. Harry smiled at the cute girl. He got up from his seat, and worked his hands underneath her back and legs. He lifted her easily, surprised at how light she was. Her head slid naturally onto his shoulder, and Harry smiled as he carried her out of the VIP room. The other people having dinner noticed the young man carrying an attractive sleeping girl in his arms, and smiled, remembering their own good times as youths. Harry smiled back at them. The maitre d' bowed them out onto the street. Harry whispered Dobby's name. Dobby popped in.

"Can you get pop us back to Hogwarts without waking her up?" he whispered to his elf. Dobby smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Master Harry Potter sir, Dobby be making trip without waking up Master's miss." Harry took Dobby's small hand, and a soft pop later, Harry found himself in the Hogwarts entrance hall. He quickly and quietly made his way down to the dungeons, trying to avoid anyone and anything that could wake up the sleeping girl in his arms. Finally, Harry reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room. He stood in front for a little while, wondering how he would get in without the password. Suddenly, he had an idea. He hissed _open_ in Parseltongue, and the wall swung open soundlessly. Harry smiled in triumph. He walked into the room, seeing the elegant furniture occupied by a few Slytherins who looked up in surprise. One of them opened her mouth, but Harry's wand snapped into his hand, and a Silencing spell later, he continued on his way. The girl removed the spell on herself, begrudgingly understanding that Daphne was not to be disturbed. He located the stairs to the 6th year girls' dorms, and cringed as he took the first step up. He was surprised to find that nothing happened. And interesting tidbit. He pushed open the door to the room, and found that only Tracey was still awake, apparently waiting for Daphne to return. Her eyes widened as she saw Harry, but she understood that Daphne was asleep. She went to her best friend's bed and pulled back the covers. Harry gently laid the black-haired girl on her bed. Tracey smiled at him, as he mimed writing. Tracey gave him some parchment and a quill and ink bottle. It was far too much parchment, however, and Harry drew his wand. He pointed it at the scroll, and silently cast the Severing Charm, willing it to be noiseless. To his immense surprise, it was, and a small piece of parchment separated from the rest. Harry wrote her a note and placed it on her pillow, before he smiled at Tracey and slipped out of the room quietly. Tracey padded over to Daphne's bed, and read the parchment.

_Daphne, _

_Hope you had fun. Don't worry about falling asleep, gave me a good little while to stare._

_Harry_

A/N: Finally a date kind of! Harry throws around his money, but he's not an arsehole like Malfoy! Yay for Sirius business. Next, Chapter 10: A Good Education, where Snape eats his words!

R&R alright? Alright.


	10. A Good Education

Chapter 10: A Good Education

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! A bit of action in this one, and some mindless destruction too! I can hardly keep myself from having someone constantly point their wand at Harry, haha. I'm trying though. Making a real effort.

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The next Monday came fast, everyone using the rest of the weekend to catch up on schoolwork and sleep. Daphne had woken up in her bed, to find Harry's note on her pillow. She had thought it had been the sweetest gesture, leaving a note instead of waking her up. Tracey, of course, had spent most of the Sunday interrogating her, extracting every detail. The blonde Slytherin was shocked about the tunnel, but completely speechless about the new restaurant Harry now owned, and more specifically, the reason why he now owned it.

Harry rolled out of bed just in time to shower and get down to breakfast. To Harry's great surprise, no one had pointed a wand at him throughout the entire meal! Peace at last. Buttered rolls never tasted so good.

But alas, the peace and the rolls were short-lived. Harry's first class of the day was Defence Against the Dark Arts, taught by the resident Death Eater, Severus Snape. Harry dragged his feet all the way to the classroom, but he eventually forced himself through the door, preparing for a terrible lesson filled with wry cracks at his father and lots of lost Gryffindor points. He sat beside Daphne, Tracey being directly behind him. He nudged her as he took his seat, and she nudged back, smiling.

"Good morning, Harry. You look happy to be here."

"Yes, this is my favourite class. I always learn a lot about myself here." Daphne and Tracey giggled, and Tracey poked him in the back. He turned to face her.

"When are you gonna buy a restaurant for _me_, Harry?" she playfully pouted. Harry appeared to think.

"Hmm. What's your last class?"

Tracey blinked. "Er, Ancient Runes from 3 to 4 o'clock. Why?"

"Did you have any particular restaurant in mind, or is it my choice?"

Tracey stared blankly. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Why wouldn't I be? Every girl should have a restaurant bought for her. That's how they used to do it in the old days" Harry chuckled and turned back around. "Think about it and get back to me at the end of class." He winked at Daphne, who poked him in the side.

"Don't tease her, she'll faint." Daphne laughed as Snape walked in.

"Silence!" Every conversation in the room was quickly lined up and shot. "Today, you will be attempting to learn how to cast a shield that defends against physical attacks. You will be able to cast it by the end of the class. If you are not, then you deserve the consequences of not being able to do so. The incantation, for those of you who cannot read, is _scutum corporis_." Harry smiled. This class wasn't going to be nearly as bad as he thought. The

"With encouragement like that, he may as well just sling rocks at our heads and call us trolls!" Harry whispered to Daphne. Snape stopped speaking, and turned slowly to face Harry.

"MISTER Potter. Twenty points from Gryffindor! Much like your father, you have no respect for your superiors. Would you care to come up here and teach the rest of the lesson, since you so clearly already know it all? Otherwise, you wouldn't be talking, would you?" Harry's stopped smiling, but he was unwilling simply to insult Snape. He could already feel that a detention was coming, but oh, he was going to earn it this time.

"First of all, you are _not_ my superior, which is why I have no respect for you. And second," Snape's eyes narrowed as Harry stood up, "it will be my pleasure to teach the rest of the lesson." He walked to the front of the class. Snape simply watched, quietly seething. "As our esteemed Professor was saying," Harry said, addressing the class, who all watched in quiet awe. "The incantation for the Physical Shield Charm is _scutum corporis_. The resulting shield does not have to surround the caster's body, and can take any shape as long as proper focus is used when casting." Harry paced at the front of the room, much like Snape would. "The shield works by absorbing the momentum of the attacking object, which is why things seem to get lodged in it, as opposed to vanishing completely or simply dropping to the floor. Now, I'm going to need a volunteer-"

"ENOUGH! I will show you what I think of your shield." Snape hissed and a conjured knife flew toward Harry. Must be a Death Eater thing. The entire class gasped as a teacher attacked a student. The knife lodged in Harry's shield, and then clattered to the floor as he cancelled the charm. Snape wasn't finished though, and waved his wand again. This time, 4 fully formed swords zoomed towards Harry's face, but they were also embedded in Harry's shield. Snape was becoming more and more agitated. He flicked his wand, and knives poured out like coins out of a slot machine. The blades all started for Harry at the same time, and a few shrieks could be heard from the class.

Harry slashed the air with his wand. "_SCUTUM CORPORIS!_" His shield formed into a flat wall, and Snape's swords rushed into it, getting stuck at the hilt, but still nowhere near their intended target. Snape snarled and threw an obscure curse at the shield. It shattered and the conjured swords fell to the floor, but Snape did not wait, casting the same curse again. A wand flick later, Harry conjured a slab of marble to absorb the curse. He banished the stone at Snape's face, hoping to correct his awful nose.

"_CONFRINGO!_" Snape yelled, and the marble exploded into dust.

"_Vis aeris!_" Harry countered, a hurricane wind whipping the dust directly at Snape, who found that Vanishing was not an effective strategy in this case. He brought up a Physical Shield, and waited for the dust to collect on it. A tactical error in Harry's opinion, as the Boy-Who-Lived appeared to slap the air, and raw magic flew out of his hand, shattering his shield like a bathroom mirror. A blue curse grazed Harry's cheek, leaving a deep cut, and Harry realized that the proverbial gloves had come off. "_Suffoca!_" He heard the greasy-haired man begin to choke, but he knew that Snape did not need words to cast. Sure enough, another Ripping Curse missed Harry completely. The dust had finally cleared, and the entire class, Gryffindor and Slytherin, watched in awe as Snape straightened out and stopped himself from choking.

In that second, however, Harry had let loose a Disarming charm, as well as three Ripping Curses of his own. "_Lacero, lacero, lacero!_" The blue bolts hit Snape in the leg, stomach, and arm. "_Depulso, adhaesi!_" Snape was blown into the wall and stuck to it. He growled as Harry walked up to him and raised his wand. A long blade began to emerge from the glowing tip of Harry's wand, and Harry heard a gasp from his audience. Harry took a deep breath, and the blade retracted, disappearing as the glow died down. Harry knew he had gotten lucky. Snape could put up much more of a fight. The enclosed space had not given him an opportunity to display all of skills. By the same token, though, a fight was rarely fair, and it was not Harry who was stuck to the wall. The Boy-Who-Lived turned to the class, and winked at Daphne and Tracey. "And _that_, is how you use a Physical Shield Charm! Class dismissed!" Harry exclaimed, walking out of the class, flicking his wand behind him to release Snape.

The rest of the day had passed without incident for Harry, except when a sixth year Ravenclaw had mispronounced a charm and had ended up blown back into Harry, landing with her face in his lap. He had not minded, but Flitwick had been less than pleased. The laughter did not stop for the rest of the class. Finally, four o'clock had rolled around, and Harry had rushed to the Ancient Runes classroom. He knew he would be cutting it close if he was going to surprise Tracey. With only a few seconds left, he flattened himself against the wall, beside the door leading to the classroom. Tracey was one of the first to come out. Harry followed her, going unnoticed by the other students. As she turned a corner, Harry whispered her name. She spun around, her wand already in her Hand. Six years in Slytherin had taught her caution.

Harry grabbed her wrist gently. "Relax, Tracey, it's only me." The girl stowed her wand and looked sheepishly at him. "Sorry Harry, I nearly hexed you there."

Harry grinned and shook his head. "No, you didn't. But you can go ahead and think you did." Harry laughed as Tracey punched him lightly in the gut. "So, do you want your restaurant now or later?" Tracey stared at him.

"I… thought you were joking."

"You and Daphne are pretty much my best friends right now. You haven't judged me and you've been kind to me, something that happens less and less. On top that of that, you're both smoking hot." Harry grinned. "So no, I wasn't joking. I owe you an insanely expensive gift. What would you like?"

Tracey stared at him, trying to decide if he was having one over on her. He was serious, as far as she could tell. "Well then, I'd like a castle in the Scottish Highlands." She smirked at him. Harry smirked right back.

"Did you have one in mind?" Harry laughed.

"Oh yeah, sure. Birkhill Castle looked good when I was there."

"Perfect. Dobby!" Tracey smiled, amused by the authenticity of Harry's joke. The little elf appeared. "Here, take this," Harry said, tossing the elf his bottomless money pouch. "I need you to find the owner of Birkhill Castle in the Highlands and make them an offer on their estate." Dobby nodded enthusiastically.

"Dobby be finding owners right away, Master Harry Potter sir." Tracey began to get worried. When the elf disappeared, her eyes nearly popped out.

"Oh Merlin, call him BACK!" Harry smiled.

"Why? He's getting you a castle like you want."

"Right now, Harry!" Tracey was panicking. What if it was too late? Harry called the elf back.

"Dobby is not finding owners of castle yet, Master Harry Potter sir."

"Quite all right, Dobby. Tracey's changed her mind." He smiled at the girl. "What'll it be instead?" Tracey shook her head.

"I can't believe you would actually do that. Just like that. Buy a castle. You're insane." Harry grinned at her.

"Well alright, fine. Isn't there anything fun you want to do? Something you've never done before?" Tracey's eyes lit up.

"I want to learn to drive a car. A muggle car." Harry smiled in earnest.

"Sounds like fun. Dobby, can you pop us to Gringotts, please?" A moment later, Tracey and Harry stood in the main hall of the goblin-run bank. As Dobby popped away, Harry approached a teller with the Slytherin girl in tow. "Good afternoon. Oh, Griphook! It's been a little while! How are you?" Harry spoke to the little goblin. Griphook had helped Harry manage his vaults and had also handled the procedure for his emancipation and inheritance.

"Good day to you, Lord Potter-Black. How can I be of assistance today?

"Please, just call me Harry. I don't like my title. I'm going to need a lot of muggle money. Does Gringotts have a credit card or something like that?" Griphook smiled a toothy smile, and produced a shiny black credit card.

"If you would please tap this card with your wand, it will be tied to you, and only you will be able to use it, as well as anyone you give it to. But it must be given willingly." Harry tapped the card with his wand, and it flashed blue before Harry stowed it in his pocket.

"Thank you Griphook. Could you tell me if Malfoy Manor is currently my property?"

"Certainly, Harry." The goblin pulled out a thick book, and flipped through it, finding just the right page, before confirming that Harry Potter owned the Malfoy ancestral home.

"Great, thanks. Be seeing you!" Harry gave a slight wave as he and Tracey left the bank.

"You own Malfoy's house? How?"

"Well, Malfoy Senior is in prison, and Malfoy Junior is not of age yet, so the property passes onto his mother, but I annulled her marriage as head of her House, the House of Black. So the Malfoy house became an estate of the House of Black. Basically, it became mine." Harry laughed as Tracey shook her head. "Do you want it?" Tracey keeled over laughing at this.

"Dobby! Do you know where the nearest muggle car dealership is?" Dobby did not, but he promised to find out and return as quickly as possible. Finding nothing to do, he allowed himself to be dragged into a jewellery store. The storeowner quirked an eyebrow as Tracey jumped from display to display, looking at anything and everything. At one point, she lingered on a bracelet encrusted with diamonds and amethysts. She turned away, however, and continued looking around curiously. Harry made eye contact with the jeweller and tapped the glass above the bracelet in question.

The jeweller nodded and whispered "four hundred galleons." Harry nodded, drew his wand, and cast a Silencing charm on the countertop, before pouring gold coins onto it noiselessly. The jeweller quickly counted out four hundred with the use of a small set of scales. Harry slid his money pouch and the bracelet into his pocket. He didn't know when the next occasion would be, but it was good to be prepared anyway. Finally, Dobby popped into the store and announced that he had located a car dealership and was prepared to take Master Harry Potter sir and his Miss to it right away. They landed around the corner from a car lot and an impressive building constructed mostly of glass walls. Cars were on display inside.

"Well, let's find a car. Shouldn't be too hard," Harry joked.

Twenty minutes later, Harry handed an attendant his new credit card. "I can pay in full up front right now." The man nodded dumbly and made the necessary arrangements. In another ten minutes, Tracey and Harry climbed into a brand new grey Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Harry turned the key in the ignition, and Tracey shrieked. "Don't worry, it's supposed to do that. I'll find us a nice wide open place, and then you can go crazy with this thing!" Harry drove for nearly half an hour before finding an empty lot that someone had left unsupervised and its gate was open. The dirt was not ideal for driving, but it would at least make for interesting spinouts, Harry thought. Tracey switched seats with him, and he talked her through starting the car, using the steering wheel, and pressing the pedals, explaining as much as he knew himself. "Alright, start it up!" Harry cast Cushioning Charms all around them, having a bad feeling about letting Tracey drive unassisted, but a promise was a promise. The engine roared to life, and Tracey floored the accelerator. The car twisted, turned, veered, slid, and braked in absolutely every way and direction. Dirt was kicked up by the spinning wheels, and gravel flew away from the underside of the car. After an hour, Tracey had gotten the hang of driving. She gunned the engine, as the wheels spun up at the rear of the now dirt-covered vehicle. They shot off the line, quickly reaching highway speed in the flat empty lot. Harry managed to cast a Sticking Charm between Tracey's back and her seat as she suddenly twisted the wheel to the left as fast as possible, and the car lost all traction and began to tumble sideways. Harry bounced off the ceiling and windshield as the car spun width wise. The Aston Martin came to a stop upside down, the wheels still spinning. Tracey was gasping for breath in shock as Harry was staring at her, slightly annoyed at how noble he was.

"You're welcome," he groaned and opened the door on his side, crawling out after cancelling the Sticking Charm. On the other side of the car, Tracey came out as well. They regrouped on her side, staring at the upended Vantage, and began to laugh. It started out as a giggle from Tracey, but Harry joined in and soon it was a full blown laughing fit.

Harry laughed hysterically beside Tracey, who was fighting to breathe through her laughter. "Let's blow it up."

"What?"

"Let's completely destroy it. I mean, it's wrecked anyway. Might as well do a good job of it!" Tracey's eyes widened and she grinned her assent.

"But," she suddenly pouted, "I can't do magic outside Hogwarts yet!" Harry continued to smile.

"No big deal, use mine." Tracey snatched his wand away eagerly and began firing hexes and curses at the car, making dents and holes. She began to pour more and more energy into it, as a result of the somewhat incompatible wand. Her spells became more and more destructive. A well aimed Blasting Curse had mangled a door beyond repair, and one of the wheels was on fire. "Alright, now it's my turn." Harry grinned as Tracey handed back his wand, a pout on her face. He turned to face the car as magic began to crackle between his fingers. Tracey noticed and backed up slightly, not wanting to catch any of what Harry was about to throw at the poor car. She flinched as a bright purple beam shot from Harry's wand and blew a large hole in the car. A red bolt followed it, and the door she had mangled imploded in on itself. Another red bolt followed it, and the entire exterior of the car caught fire spontaneously. A wave of Harry's wand produced an array of knives that shot forward and lodged themselves into the burning car. One more flick, and green fire poured forth, enveloping the car and causing it to crumple and bend. Finally, Harry raised his other hand, and pushed both wand and hand towards the car, muttering an incantation as Tracey saw lightning arc from Harry into the car, which promptly exploded violently.

Harry caught his breath as Tracey began to question him. "What were those spells? They looked dangerous."

"Those were pretty much all the dark spells I know."

"Oh. What do you mean, pretty much?"

"Well, there's one more but… it only works on living things. I see that look, don't give me that. You know as well as I do that no one will ever see these spells out of me that doesn't deserve it." Tracey nodded, having witnessed on more than one occasion the full extent of Harry's fury, but knowing that she had nothing to fear from the Boy-Who-Lived. Dobby soon arrived and popped them back to Hogwarts. Tracey fell into bed, exhausted after her wild and crazy adventure with her hot new Gryffindor friend.

A/N: Oh man, poor beautiful car! Oh well, when in Rome, get a car and tear it the shit up! I recently saw another fic that had "Logic is the art of going wrong with confidence" fitted in there somewhere, and it's such an awesome quote, I had to post it here. Next, Chapter 11: Spellwork, Girls, and Weasley Thunder.


	11. Spellwork, Girls & Weasleys

Chapter 11: Spellwork, Girls, and Weasley Thunder

A/N:

**had to shorten this chapter's name, there's a limit to how long it can be. Real name just above.

Just a quick clarification. I generally feel stupid when I read a brilliant fic by a brilliant author that is ruined by a rushed relationship between Harry and whoever else. That's why I automatically hunt for stories over 100,000 words, to make sure that there's at least a chance that the main ship makes sense. This story, as you've no doubt noticed, is not yet a fixed Harry/Daphne, because of Harry's new flirty and adventurous side. I shan't say anymore lest I give all my plans away. But I will ask you this: how many girls do you know that would be alright with being _one_ of the girlfriends, as opposed to _the_ girlfriend? I don't think this will be a Harry/Tracey/Daphne, but HarryDaphne won't be official for quite a few more chapters.

Haha! Also, Harry will become an animagus at some point. You may start suggesting his animal form :P

This chapter features spellwork, girls, and Weasley thunder, in that order! Enjoy.

* * *

Harry woke up feeling refreshed after a fun day yesterday. There was nothing like a balanced mix of fighting your most hated teacher, watching a girl drive for the first time, and later decimating her vehicle. It made for good sleep. Harry got out of bed slightly more enthusiastically than usual, heading to the showers with a spring in his step, already planning to use his free periods in the morning to learn a few random incredible spells from his prized collection of ancient magic, still sitting, shrunken, in his pants. Harry considered skipping breakfast, not being very hungry, but in truth, he didn't want to miss an opportunity to see Daphne.

He walked into the Great Hall and sat beside Hermione. Immediately he spotted Daphne sitting with her sister, talking to each other as Tracey bickered with a fellow Slytherin. Hermione shifted, and glanced at Harry.

"Hey 'Mione. How are you?"

"I'm okay, Harry… We haven't actually talked in a really long time. I know you've been spending a lot of time with those Slytherins." Harry looked at her.

"Yeah… I don't really have a lot of friends left these days." Hermione stared into her plate guiltily. She got up and excused herself, she needed to go to class. Twenty minutes early. Harry did the math.

Looking back across the Hall at the Slytherin table, Daphne and Tracey were talking about something together, when they both shot him a look at the same time, and began laughing. Harry cocked his head at them, and they shrugged, waving. He waved back as Ginny stood up and left, a disgusted look on her face.

The rest of breakfast came and went. Harry had made his way back to the Room of Requirement, pulling the book out of his pocket and enlarging it. As he sat in what was becoming his favourite armchair, he began to flip through the pages. It amazed him what some wizards had come up with. There was a spell that could heal any injury, but at the cost of it being transferred onto the caster. Harry frowned, it wasn't really a healing spell, it was more of a sacrifice than anything else. He turned the page. This was a nasty spell. It was known as the Shrapnel curse, and according to the book, was a forgotten piece of vile dark magic dating back over 600 years, when wizards first laid eyes on muggle cannons and developed it. The curse essentially threw iron shrapnel towards the target. Harry stood up and winced at what he was about to try. The Room sensed his need and a dummy appeared about 15 feet from him. Harry raised his wand, glanced at the book on the end table, and threw the curse.

"_Testa ferri._" Sharp black pieces of metal flew out of his wand and dug into the dummy, some of them with such force that entire pieces of wood fell off onto the floor. "That is _disgustingly lethal_," Harry said to himself. He cast the spell a few more times, trying to control the flow, speed, and number, of the iron pieces. The dummy at this stage had become a pile of wood. Harry decided it was time to try something else lest he become a Dark Lord just practising the curse. Flipping through the book again, Harry saw a charm that could permanently fuse two objects together by turning some of the target objects into the material of the other. Known as the Fusion Charm, it too had long been forgotten, last having been used in the Middle Ages by wizards aiding in the construction of castles to bind stones together as a vastly more effective alternative to mortar. The book noted that it could be used effectively in combat as a distraction or a finishing move, depending on the health and overall decency of your imagination. Harry stood up, interesting in trying the Charm, as another dummy appeared facing him. He pointed his wand at its legs and gave it a flick.

"_Conferrumino_," he cast, and a grayish spiral of cloud shot out of his wand and made contact with the dummy. Immediately, its feet seemed to melt into the stone floor, and the stone seemed to creep up its legs as they hardened with a crackling noise. Harry could see the usefulness of such a spell in magical construction, but he could also see its obvious merit in a duel. Why bother fighting when you could just put your enemy on the wall and turn him into a wall ornament? Harry shook his head, trying to clear it, and put the book away. That was enough combat magic to last him for a while. He left the room and began to wander the school, getting lost in its immensity. He had the Maurader's Map if he actually got lost. As he walked, he became aware of the sound of footsteps, not his own, coming from behind him. He did not turn around, but instead his wand slid into his hand, and he began to think up a creative attack. As he was about to turn and banish his tail down the corridor and fuse his or her back to the floor, he heard a cough that he recognized. Turning with a curious look, he came face to face with none other than Tracey Davis, smiling at him.

"Hey Harry. I was just looking for you, because I realized I never properly thanked you for such a fun day yesterday" She grinned at him and laughed. He laughed along, recalling the twisted mass of metal they had created together. Modern art.

"Oh. Well. Here I am," Harry replied, curious and admittedly hopeful about what she had in mind. After all, she had a pretty face, attractive dirty blonde hair, and a fit, toned body that he had had an opportunity to touch the previous day. He wouldn't mind another one. As she stepped closer to him, his mind briefly flashed to Daphne, but he waved it off as he thought about it rationally. Tracey was not known for ever engaging in an actual romantic relationship, according to rumours Harry had heard. She liked to sample the buffet, as Ron had so eloquently put it at one point. He leaned against the wall casually, his hands in his pockets.

"Here you are," she spoke in a low voice as she leaned into him, her arms snaking around his neck and her lips coming to touch his, just a touch forceful. Harry's hands left his pockets and attached themselves to her waist as he kissed her back, every bit as forceful and even more so. The kiss was… nice. It was not salty and wet, a definite improvement on a certain Asian Ravenclaw he knew. Certainly he was not in love with this girl, but that did not mean his eyes did not function. She as hot as they came, with the exception perhaps of Daphne, but he did not tend to see her as a girl to be wooed, and he felt he'd rather talk to her and hold her hand than seduce her on the spot. All thoughts fled his brain, however, as he felt Tracey's womanly assets press against his chest as the girl shifted slightly. One of Harry's hands untucked her shirt as another slowly crept downwards and came to rest on a delightfully round behind. Tracey opened her mouth, and Harry was not far behind in taking a tongue-in-cheek approach to the situation. He heard Tracey moan as she pulled away, a few strands of hair falling onto her face as she breathed hard, composing herself. Harry smiled at her, knowing that Sirius would be doing a jig on the other side of the Veil at the moment. "Well," Tracey breathed, Harry's hands moving back into his pockets.

Harry gave an easy smile, looking every bit like his father would've looked in a similar situation. "I'm going to need more Aston Martins." Tracey looked at her feet, her cheeks flaming red, but she couldn't help but think about the raw muscle she had felt under his shirt as she had pressed against him.

"You don't need cars to get me out of my clothes, Mr. Potter." Tracey said, smirking as she regained her flirty attitude and casual treatment of intimate contact. Harry began internally hyperventilating, but he could not afford to let it show and blow his cool now, after that heroic battle to maintain it that he had just fought.

He decided if she could take the verbal teasing further, he could as well. "How about knickers? Do I need cars for _those_?" Tracey smiled mischievously and began to turn away.

"See you later, Harry," she said while walking away. The Boy-Who-Lived had his eyes on her swaying behind until she turned the corner. He blinked and shook his head, taking a deep breath. Some guys said that females were impossible to understand, but Harry felt he was getting a good feel for it.

He laughed at his own pun. "A good feel… heh." he muttered, shaking his head. He headed to his next class, and spent the rest of his afternoon rolling the various details of his encounter with Tracey around in his head. It was still a nice day when classes finished, and Harry took a quick look at the Marauder's Map to find Daphne and Tracey. As usual, they were together, and this time could be found near the library. Harry steered himself in the right direction. A short five minutes later, he had arrived.

"Hey Daphne, Tracey." He blinked at the girls. They had ditched their robes in favour of tight revealing shirts, and snug jeans that made Harry's train of thought derail and fall off a bridge. "You're looking… different today."

"Oh come on, Potter. You can do better than that. We didn't struggle into these jeans for nothing. Tell us you can't stop drooling over our curves" Tracey grinned and laughed at Harry's narrowed eyes. He came closer to the chairs they were sitting on, and bent forward, coming to eye level with them.

"Alright. You both look insanely hot I'd like nothing more than to tear off your undergarments." Both girls smiled slightly and blushed a little bit. "With my teeth" Harry grinned a lopsided grin and Daphne's eyes widened. Tracey just shook her head in amusement as Harry made eye contact with them both. "So. Who's up for a walk on the grounds?"

"Well, actually, we have some work to get through-" Tracey began to explain.

"-Right." Harry threaded an arm onto each of the girls' waists and lifted them up, pushing them out of their seats. Laughing, they began to walk towards an exit onto the Hogwarts grounds.

Harry walked slightly behind them, taking the time to admire their swinging behinds. Daphne stopped suddenly, and he nearly walked into her. "Enjoying the view, Harry?"

"Wha- uh." Harry shrugged. "It's alright, I guess. Isn't really the right season for nice sunsets," Harry said, looking up at the sky innocently. Daphne huffed and poked Harry in the ribs. He twitched away, but reached around and poked her back. Tracey stood a good distance away, watching with an amused smile on her face. Daphne began to run as the green-eyed boy gave chase. He was faster than her, though, and quickly caught up to her, diving at her while grabbing her waist and twisting in the air so that he landed on the bottom. She landed on her knees with her hands on Harry' shoulders. Harry had a flash of her bending down and beginning to make out. Ah, he could only hope for two snogging sessions in one day. As she looked at him, he gazed at how the sun made her hair seem brown in the afternoon light.

"So I'm not as pretty as the sunset? Hmph, you could've had a smooth line there," Daphne giggled to him.

Harry propped himself up on his elbows and smirked. "Don't worry, there's no sunset right now." Harry's smile softened. "Also, you're quite beautiful." The kiss was short and sweet, but Harry would treasure the memory anyway. He smiled at her as she pulled away, her black hair forming a curtain around his face as she blushed. Harry heard a shriek from somewhere close by. He began to stand up, taking her with him, as an angry Ginny Weasley stalked towards them. She righted herself as Harry saw Tracey shoot him a thumbs up and a wink. The youngest Weasley began to yell.

"UGH! You ditched me for _her_? She's a slut Slytherin! We could've had something special, Harry, but you had to ruin it with your stupid grins and, and, UGH! I can't believe you! You'll regret what you did to me, Potter! I swear you will! I'm better than this trollop!" Daphne looked ready to burst, and Tracey's face was cold as she sauntered up beside Daphne, completely blocking Ginny's view of Harry.

"There are _two_ of us _trollops_, Weasley. Leave before you get hurt, little girl." Tracey hissed. Ginny's eyes narrowed as she began to draw her wand. Harry pushed past the two attractive Slytherins, coming face to face with the red-haired girl.

"Listen, Ginny. I'm sorry if you didn't like the time we spent together in Hogsmeade, and I'm sorry if I disappointed you, but I just… don't feel the same way. But that doesn't mean you should dwell on it, there are plenty of boys who would be lucky to be with you" Harry tried to smile at the girl. But she wasn't having anything to do with Harry's offering. Unbeknownst to both of him, Ron was standing not far away, watching the goings-on. Ginny's magic flared up, and an arc of electricity the same colour as her hair traveled from her feet to her wand arm. Harry began to feel threatened, and his own magic responded in kind, as the breeze turned into a strong wind, and a white energy crackled around him. As he began to get angry, Harry tried to calm himself down. He shouldn't attack her, he should be trying to make nice with her. The Boy-Who-Lived didn't need any more enemies. The crackling stopped, and he smiled at Ginny.

"This is stupid, I don't want to be attacking you. Can we be friends?" Harry smiled genuinely at the girl, but she didn't smile back. She slashed her wand against Harry's torso and a blue flash signalled the creation of a deep gash in Harry's stomach as his magic flared up and he growled in pain, intending to push her away but instead electrocuting her as she was thrown backwards, coming to a rolling stop, her hair singed. "Bloody hell," Harry cursed as he doubled over. Daphne and Tracey shrieked as they saw Harry fall to one knee, and they both drew their wands. "Forget her," Harry groaned. "Would you please?" Harry indicated to the wound that was leaking blood onto the ground. Daphne's eyes widened and she quickly cast a basic healing charm, watching the skin knit itself together and the blood flow stop. Ron had rushed over sometime during the whole ordeal and was clutching at his sister, who was gasping for breath.

"What'd you do to her, you prick?" he yelled at Harry.

Harry sighed, light-headed from the loss of so much blood. "I defended myself after she cut open my stomach. You could've seen that even from where you were hiding." Harry shook his head and walked away, nudging Daphne and Tracey forward.

"I won't forget this!" Ron yelled after him.

"I will!" Harry yelled back.

A/N: Wow! Sirius would be proud, two in one day! Admittedly, he didn't make the first move for either, but that's alright. Baby steps. And damn, Harry is adding some ridiculous spells to his repertoire, hopefully he doesn't use them too too much. You know, call of the dark side, temptation, power, all that good dark side stuff. And why does it seem like this isn't by any account the last confrontation between Harry and the Weasleys? Will they all turn against him for this "great betrayal"? Anyway. Enough foreshadowing :P. Next, Chapter 12: Harry Potter and the Mexican Standoff


	12. Harry Potter and the Mexican Standoff

Chapter 12: Harry Potter and the Mexican Standoff

A/N:

A review from **timber**:

"i'm sure you don't want to hear this but...  
what is your problem?  
you took a perfectly good idea and turned it into crap.  
it has nothing to do with harry acting like a man whore(though he is). it has to do with you turning him into a wastral.  
don't know what that means? look it up.  
instead of him throwing his money away like it means nothing, how about the little princess give it to charity.  
he spent 900000 galleons to buy a for a meal basically.  
i'm sure the little ponce could have gotten a reservation.  
then the little brat buys an astin martin and destroys it?

gee he is now a clone of malfoy. happy?"

**timber**: No need to get snappy. What is my problem? Well, recently I've been constipated due to my diet, it may be coming across in my writing. I am working to correct the problem. Harry isn't acting like a man whore, Harry is flirting and enjoying life. Kissing pretty girls is enjoying life. Try it! I know what "wastral" means, though you should be aware that it is generally spelled "wastrel". Yes, Harry did throw his money away on the car, but the restaurant could well be a good investment, and Harry was more concerned with making Daphne happy, not with preserving his fortune. I've never bought a restaurant for a girl, but I have gone to great lengths according to my ability. The gesture was more significant in the story than the actual price of the restaurant. Besides, it will feature later in the story. Harry is by no means a clone of Malfoy. Think about it like this: What is the value of money if you have no one to spend it with? How many friends does Harry really have? Perhaps you are blessed with many friends, although I doubt it, I imagine a conversation with you is like being stuck in an elevator with Gordon Ramsay. Harry is not. He is prepared to sign away his entire fortune in exchange for his parents, as he has stated. What's a tiny dent in his money for a new friend?

Eat more fibre, **timber**! I fear you might be constipated too. I sympathize. It truly is a horrible affliction. My heart goes out to you.

Anyway, this chapter will feature, predictably, a Mexican standoff. Read on to find out who's pointing a wand at whom.

* * *

Harry blinked and stared for a moment at the red hangings of his four-poster bed. He then noticed an unusual quiet in his dorm room. He sat up, and noted that all of the other beds were empty. He had overslept massively, and began to rush towards the shower, when he tripped over a discarded shirt and landed squarely on the floor, dropping onto his face like so much timber. He sighed and picked himself up, and headed calmly for the showers. If he was going to miss breakfast, he was going to enjoy it. What followed was a long and relaxing shower. Harry dressed slowly, and walked out of the common room casually. He knew that both Daphne and Tracey had class, so he had nothing to do. Harry sat down on a low windowsill and pulled out what was quickly becoming his favourite book. He opened the _Compendiume_ to a random page, and began to read. Some of these spells were truly sickening. Harry flipped from page to page. A swarm of flesh eating insects. A curse to rip off the arms and legs. Another to rot only the affected area.

Harry heard footsteps, and looked up, resolving to continue his studies later. Professor McGonagall was approaching him. "Hello Mr. Potter. The Headmaster requests your presence in his office. I think you will find that he has developed a taste for Licorice Beetles." The Transfiguration Professor and Deputy Headmistress frowned. "What is that you're reading, Mr. Potter?" Harry looked up at her.

"A very useful book that I recently acquired," Harry replied guardedly. The Professor was not fooled.

"The fact that you look guilty indicates to me that that book would not be found in the Hogwarts curriculum. May I have a look at it?"

Harry blinked. "I… don't think that's a good idea, Professor. It'd be better for this kind of knowledge to remain as much of a secret as possible." McGonagall scoffed and attempted to summon the _Compendiume_. Harry gripped the book tighter, and his magic crackled violently, barely straining under the Summoning Charm. The woman was shocked to find that she could not summon the tome.

"Mr. Potter, I'm afraid this must be taken up with the Headmaster. Come along." Harry shrugged, having to go see Dumbledore anyway. He walked with his Professor, the book under his arm. As they reached the office, she spoke the password and the gargoyle moved aside, revealing the stairs. They ascended in silence, walking in to find Snape and Dumbledore deep in conversation. All sound ceased as Dumbledore turned his attention to Harry.

"Ah, Harry. We have much to discuss. Firstly, Severus is most displeased with your behaviour in yesterday's Defence class. He-"

"Headmaster, I am not _displeased_. I am OUTRAGED that you have not ALREADY expelled this arrogant little _shit_!" McGonagall gasped as Severus referred to her favourite student in such a manner.

Harry had long ago had enough of Snape. His magic crackled and arced as he spoke. "Listen to me, Snivellus. You deserved everything I gave you, and more besides. You had it easy. I should've lit your pasty skin on fire and drained the blood from your greasy, burning body, you bastard." Snape's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I know those spells, and more. And most importantly, I'm not afraid to curse Death Eaters like you!" Dumbledore sighed.

"Severus, please calm yourself. You as well, Harry. If we would all just take a seat." Dumbledore waved at them, and the situation was defused somewhat.

"Now, Harry, we have just heard you describe magic of which no one should be aware. Could-"

"Headmaster, Mr. Potter is in possession of a book that he has refused to show me, and I am afraid that it might be the book that has assisted him in his… studies."

"You know, I'm standing right here, and I would appreciate it if I was not spoken of like a piece of furniture."

"You flatter yourself, Potter."

"Wash your hair, Snivellus." Snape's expression darkened.

"Yes, well, as I was saying, that book might be a danger to everyone around it." Dumbledore's eyes moved to the book that Harry still had under his arm.

"Harry. Could I see that book." Harry grimaced.

"Yes, Professor. Here it is." Harry held up the book. Dumbledore could just barely make out the title, it was clearly a collection of dark and ancient magic, perhaps but not necessarily both at the same time. He attempted to summon the book with a wave of his wand, but Harry's magic sparked violently, rejecting the old man's charm. Harry snorted angrily. "I didn't say you could read it, sir. This is my book, and, as you have said, it is quite dangerous. I'm not going to show it to anyone else. There are some spells in there that very few people deserve to have cast on them." He glanced and smirked at Snape for a second.

"Harry, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to have such a book in your possession-"

"You'll find, sir, that I don't care what you allow or do not allow. We have made nice recently, but I thought you understood that I am not your pawn anymore. If you will punish me, I will accept it. But you will never lay a hand on this book," Harry pointed to the book, and tapped it with his wand, shrinking it and placing it back in his pocket.

Dumbledore sighed again. "Very well. I will perhaps attempt to reason with you about this later."

"Headmaster, I demand appropriate punishment for what this insolent whelp did in my classroom."

"What did he do?" McGonagall was not informed of the situation. Harry saw an opportunity for entertainment.

"Sir, perhaps we could use the Pensieve to view my memory of the… incident?" Snape stood up abruptly.

"Absolutely not. Damn you Potter, you are your father's disgusting offspring and one day, we shall see who is the better man between us!" Snape raised his wand. Harry's wand snapped into his hand from his holster, and it was immediately pointed at the greasy-haired Death Eater. The Transfiguration Professor was shocked by the development, and drew on the Defence Professor, hoping to protect her favourite student. Dumbledore saw the meeting approach a premature and violent conclusion, so he drew his own wand on Harry, hoping to stop any permanent damage of his most useful informant. The situation was tense to say the least.

"It would appear we have reached an impasse. Severus, I would ask that you lower your wand. Threatening Harry, it seems, is unwise at best."

"I will never yield to the spawn of James Potter!" Dumbledore's brow furrowed, and he decided to try a different approach.

"Harry. Severus had a difficult time at Hogwarts, and has many bad memories of him and your father interacting. It is hard for him to accept that you are not your father."

"I know, Professor. Snivelly just needs some sense knocked into him. And some death." Harry shrugged. "Maybe a few knives too. How about it?"

Snape could not take any more. "_SECTUMSEMPRA!_" The curse gathered at the end of his wand as Harry flicked his own and a Shield Charm appeared. Snape's spell crossed the short distance and crashed against Harry's shield as Dumbledore cast a Disarming Charm at the young wizard, and McGonagall cast a wide Stunner at the Defence professor. The spells passed each other in midair, and Harry's magic arced out of his body and blew into Snape and Dumbledore.

McGonagall stood dumbstruck as the most powerful wizard in the world and his most trusted spy had their feet leave the ground and flew backwards into whatever happened to be behind them. Severus slumped against the wall, and Dumbledore dropped his wand, flying into Fawkes' perch. The phoenix took flight and screeched angrily as Albus struggled to get back to his feet, wandlessly summoning his wand to his hand.

"I apologize for that, Professor, but I don't react well to threats. I would stay, but I don't want to hear Professor McGonagall question your reason and sanity, as it seems she is preparing to do." Harry began to walk out, kicking Snape's foot aside on his way out. Only once the gargoyle had hopped back into place did it really sink in that he had incapacitated both Snape and Dumbledore at the same time. Harry smiled to himself, humming a muggle tune as he began to walk to the Great Hall for lunch.

In the Great Hall, Daphne was looking around for a certain black-haired young man. Harry had been absent at breakfast, and Daphne was admittedly concerned. Harry was not one to miss breakfast. She looked down at her meal for a second, and felt a pair of strong hands touch her shoulders. She hoped it was Harry as she turned around smiling. She was right, and stood up to hug him. Across the Hall, Ginny Weasley grimaced, and Hermione looked on curiously. Harry sat down in between Daphne and Tracey, and smiled at Astoria who sat across from her sister.

"Hey Astoria. How are you?" She blinked, not expecting him to talk to her.

"Er, I'm alright. Thank you again for what you did for me… I like being alive. I'm sorry you got hurt." She said in a smaller voice, looking down at her plate.

"It was no big deal. Besides, how would I keep Daphne happy if you died?" Daphne blinked as Astoria smiled mischievously.

"And why would you want to be keeping Daphne happy, Harry?"

"Well…" Harry's little slip of the tongue had been outed. He turned to look at the black-haired girl beside him. "Look at that face." Harry shifted his gaze between the two sisters for a second. "I just can't help it," he grinned and Astoria giggled. Tracey rolled her eyes and smacked Harry over the head.

"Eat, lover boy. Lunch is almost over." The rest of the meal passed quietly, with only an occasional dirty look from a Slytherin who could not accept that The Golden Boy was sitting at their table.

As Daphne, Harry, and Tracey walked to towards Transfiguration, he began to tell them what had happened in the Headmaster's office. Daphne stopped him to ask a question.

"Wait, what were they talking about? What book?"

Harry scratched his head. "A book I have. It's a collection of really old and some really dark spells. If you want, I could teach you both some of the more… tame spells." Both girls nodded enthusiastically as they entered the Transfiguration classroom and took their seats. McGonagall walked in, and went straight for Harry.

"Mr. Potter," she spoke to him in a low voice, "I apologize for making your life even more difficult, and I must say, I am more than impressed with your skill with wandless magic. Fifty points to Gryffindor." She walked to the front of the class and began her lesson.

An hour later, Daphne and Tracey had managed to perfectly transfigure a wooden table into a boar. Harry had not moved from his seat, choosing instead to spend the class watching Daphne's movements as she practiced.

Class ended soon after the two Slytherin girls had perfected that particular transfiguration. Tracey excused herself to go to the library, and Daphne and Harry spent a quiet afternoon together talking by the lake.

Many miles away, Draco Malfoy awoke in a hospital bed to find a foul-tasting potion being poured into his mouth. He sputtered and choked as an old Healer took a step back to avoid the spray of Skelegrow. "Ah, Mr. Malfoy. You're awake. I'm Healer Mayflower. I've been taking care of you while you were unconscious. Now, I'm going to need you to swallow the rest of this." Draco begrudgingly drank the rest of the bottle, and dropped his head down onto his pillow. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he remembered the bolt of lightning that Potter had used on him. His memory was fuzzy after that, but he knew that he must have been flung out the Great Hall window, he could remember the shattering even though his vision was impaired by the electrical shock. The healer left the room, and another set of footsteps entered.

"Mr. Draco Malfoy, my name is Griphook, and I have come to deliver your possessions. This is what was determined to be your personal property after the seizure of the Malfoy estate by the Lord Black. I wish you a good day," the goblin leered at the blond boy, placing a magically lightened trunk on the floor and leaving promptly. Draco was confused and angry. His magnificent home had been taken by the new Lord Black? Why? And who exactly _was_ the new Lord Black? He sat up in bed, feeling pain shoot up his spine. He needed to talk to his mother.

A/N: Oh, Harry zapped Snapey and Dumbles! Ha! Serves them right! Oh and Malfoy's awake! Christ, he just won't stop being stupid, will he? No, no he won't.

Wolf was suggested as an animagus form for Harry. I like it. I thought maybe black panther could be good, too, but wolf is closer to what Sirius was, in keeping with the Sirius business. Next, Chapter 13: Propositions.

R&R, please and thanks!


	13. Propositions

Chapter 13: Propositions

A/N: This chapter will be interesting, though there won't be any fighting. Bit of a lemon here, just a tiny tangy piece. Let me know if it seems that this story should be upped to Mature.

* * *

Ginny Weasley sat down at the Gryffindor table, beside Dean Thomas, a good-looking bloke a year above her. He smiled at her as mail was delivered by hundreds of owls swooping into the Great Hall. As the owls flew by, delivering the Daily Prophet among other things, Ginny saw Daphne Greengrass across the Hall. Suddenly, she knew the perfect way to get revenge no Harry Potter.

"Dean, there's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up, and I think I might be lonely by myself." She leaned into his side, her breasts pressing into his arm. Dean blushed, but you'd be hard pressed to tell against his dark complexion. "So I'd like if you came with me. Would you do that for me?" Dean nodded dumbly.

"Great. Thank you Dean." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, lingering longer than necessary to let her chest rest on him. Ginny smirked to herself. This would show Harry Potter exactly what he had passed up.

Harry walked into the Great Hall, heading for the Slytherin table that he had frequented more often than Gryffindor's recently. He saw Ginny pressing up against Dean, and thought perhaps she had moved on. Great! He could get on with his life properly. He sat in his usual seat between Daphne and Tracey and greeted them as the morning paper came. Daphne also received a letter, and, glancing at it, tucked it into her robes, before beginning to eat. On Harry's other side, Tracey was reading an article and eating at the same time. Harry tried to talk to her. She half-heartedly listened to whatever he was talking about, nodding and agreeing intermittently. Harry of course realized that she wasn't paying any attention at all, and decided to maybe have a little fun to liven up the morning. He had no idea what he was getting into.

"-and I think that motorbike actually belong to Sirius, I'll have to see where it is and try it out. Anyway, I think I'd like you to take off your shirt the next time we find ourselves in a broom closet." Tracey's face shot up so fast that it was entirely possibly her neck would remain stuck that way. Daphne looked up as well, and burst out laughing at Tracey's face. "Well, that right there got your attention. Did you hear a single thing I said?" Tracey looked down, embarrassed.

"No, I'm sorry Harry, I was reading. I'll listen to-" Harry hugged her to him with one arm.

"Oh shut up. I was just taking the piss, don't fret." He grinned at her. The rest of breakfast passed quickly, but Tracey did not even try to go back to reading. Daphne hurried to class as Tracey and Harry casually walked out of the Great Hall, not having class for another hours and a half.

"You're such a prat, Potter. I can't believe you just yelled that out at the table like that." She tried to be angry, but ended up smiling.

"Yeah, you seem terribly upset. I'm just so sorry, Ms. Davis. I'll try not to embarrass you like that in future." Harry said in a mocking voice. Tracey grabbed his arm and threw him into the first room they passed. She magically locked the door as Harry looked around. They were in a classroom that had not been used in what seemed like a decade.

As he turned to face Tracey, he found her dropping her robes, leaving her standing in her uniform. She untucked her shirt and Harry blinked.

"Urg-" was what Harry managed as she deftly pulled off the top half of her uniform. Her torso was toned, but that was hardly what caught his eye. She had a perfect pair, held up by a black lacy bra, the likes of which Harry had never seen. Then again, Dudley's old magazines were barely readable.

"So have you learned your lesson not to tease me?" Tracey sidled up to him. Harry snapped back to reality and shook his head.

"No. Not at all." He dragged a finger down her chest, in between her breasts, stopping only when he reached the top of her skirt. Her breath caught in her throat. He leaned into her. "You're good with the teasing. Not so good with the following through," Harry smirked. Tracey backed against the wall. Harry was forced to improvise, again having pitiful experience with this kind of situation, but he wasn't about to show this gorgeous blonde girl that he was in unfamiliar territory. As her back touched the wall, he pressed against her perfectly formed breasts, and his lower brain functions decided he wanted this to become familiar territory. He moved to kiss her, and she put a hand on the back of his head as she closed her eyes and opened her mouth. Harry's tongue found its way in, and explored curiously. It was a pleasant sensation, and her mouth was warm and welcoming. She tasted sweet. He began to notice a reaction occurring in his pants, and was almost embarrassed, but decided that what's done is done. As she committed to what was going on, Tracey grabbed onto Harry's neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. She ground against him as he cupped her bum, squeezing as she gave a slight moan. As he revelled in the feel of a nice round arse in his hands, Harry deepened the kiss and moved his hand up to lightly massage one of her lace-covered mounds. She moaned again, louder this time, as he crushed her body to the wall. He swore he felt a nipple as she broke their kiss, gasping for breath and leaning back against the wall.

"Oh Merlin," Tracey breathed. "I think that's far enough for now, Mr. Potter?"

Harry smirked, but was secretly dancing a jig. "For now?"

"For now." She bent over to pick up her shirt, and Harry began to walk out, lightly smacking her bum on his way out.

"They say the best things in life are free. Ha! The best things in life are women!" Harry called out as he left the room. Tracey shook her head at the door, sighing as tried to clear her hazy mind.

Many miles away, the former Narcissa Malfoy stepped into her son's room at St. Mungo's hospital, while Minerva McGonagall stepped into the Hogwarts Headmaster's office.

"Albus, you know why I'm here."

"Yes, Minerva, I have my suspicions. Do have a seat." The stern witch remained standing, and Dumbledore sighed. "I can see you are adamant. State your case, if you please."

"By Merlin, Albus, that boy will _not_ set foot in a Hogwarts classroom ever again! You saw what that curse did to Harry Potter. It would have _killed _Astoria Greengrass. Murdered her WHERE SHE STOOD!" The woman yelled at her superior, not afraid to express her opinion in less than respectful tones. Dumbledore was a great wizard, but he sometimes could not see past his own nose.

This was one of those times. "Yes, you are correct, I am afraid. But can you not see that he is just a child? He has been misguided by his heritage and influenced by Voldemort."

"This isn't a schoolyard, Albus! I _know_ you felt that residue in the Great Hall. That child, as you call him, threw magic the likes of which has NEVER BEEN SEEN at Hogwarts-"

"You must not forget, Minerva, the signature of what Harry threw back at young Draco."

"Self-defense, _Headmaster_."

"You would defend Harry so vehemently, but you will not extend the same to Draco? According to some of the witnesses, Harry cast the first curse at Mr. Malfoy."

"That may be, Albus, but Malfoy was attacking Miss Greengrass, and he cast the first spell in that encounter." Albus began to speak, but McGonagall was not a woman to be interrupted. "-and I assume you realize that Harry stopped a barrage of knives from SKEWERING Daphne Greengrass?"

"Following which he attempted to skewer the young Malfoy in much the same way."

"I cannot BELIEVE that you would defend him over Harry."

"Come, Minerva. I am not defending either side of this. I am simply trying to offer Draco a second chance as we all deserve."

"That wretched boy has had _enough_ second chances! You will make a choice tonight, Albus."

"How do you mean?" Dumbledore asked curiously, but he already had a bad feeling.

"You will draw up the paperwork for the expulsion of Draco Malfoy, or you will find yourself another Transfiguration Professor." The woman walked out as quickly as she could.

Dumbledore sank into his seat as Fawkes swivelled his head at him and trilled. "Yes, Fawkes. Yes indeed," the man sighed, pulling a sheet of parchment from a drawer.

"WHAT?" Draco Malfoy yelled as his mother sat in a chair in the corner of the stark white room. "Can he really do that?" His mother nodded.

"Yes, Draco, it is completely within his power. Malfoy Manor is no longer ours. Our vaults have been emptied. We have only our clothes and my jewellery." Draco looked terrified at the reality of his wealth disappearing out from under him. He would never see his huge silk-covered bed again, and his 19th century armoire. He would never again use his huge porcelain sink. Draco flinched unconsciously at his newfound situation. "The Dark Lord has instructed us to go to his mansion as soon as you are released from this place. He has promised me that if we serve him faithfully, we will regain out wealth and power. Do not disappoint him, Draco, he is all that separates us from the Mudbloods." Draco nodded as the door opened, and Professor Dumbledore walked in with Minerva McGonagall in tow.

"Good afternoon, Miss Black." Narcissa grimaced at her maiden name. "I apologize for interrupting. Minerva and I will not keep you long. We are here under due to unfortunate circumstances."

Narcissa had expected this. "Indeed?" The old man nodded briefly.

"Yes. I have come to personally deliver the papers that authorize and authenticate young Draco's," Dumbledore said, with a look at what was still his Transfiguration Professor, "explusion from Hogwarts. Regrettably, Draco used sinister dark magic on another student, and this is an offence that cannot be pardoned."

"I have spoken at great length on the subject with my son, and it is my understanding that Potter cast the first spell in the altercation."

"That is indeed the case, Miss Mal-" Dumbledore coughed, "Black, however, as my Deputy Headmistress rightfully pointed out, Mr. Malfoy was in the process of casting the same potentially lethal curse at an unnamed student before Mr. Potter intervened." Dumbledore. "Therefore, in my capacity as Headmaster, I do hereby expel Draco Malfoy of Slytherin House from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Mr. Malfoy, if you would please surrender your wand." Draco's eyes widened, and he shrunk into his bed.

"He will do _no_ such thing, Dumbledore. I will not allow his wand to be snapped," Narcissa snarled, stepping in front of her son.

"I am afraid, Miss Black, that that is not at your discretion. Please, let us not make this more difficult than it already is." Narcissa drew her wand very quickly, but the Deputy Headmistress pulled her own wand, and it was firmly at the former Malfoy's throat before she could open her mouth.

"I _wouldn't_." The Transfiguration Professor rose to her full height. The blonde woman slowly put her wand away, as Dumbledore summoned Draco's wand from a side table. He grabbed an end with each hand, and casually broke it over his knee. A slight whoosh of magic emanated from the pieces, and the young blond man stared in shock as his former Headmaster swept from the room.

Daphne untied the letter and unrolled it. Her eyes began to scan, and immediately tears began to fall. As she finished the letter, she began to tremble and fell back against the wall of the Room of Requirement. The ambient light that the Room provided dimmed and the door melted into stone, sealing the black-haired girl inside as she began to sob. One house elf sensed the change in the Room, and peeked in as only a house elf can. He knew that Master had to help his Miss.

Harry was leaving the Transfiguration classroom as Professor McGonagall told him to stay behind. He turned, sighed, and headed towards her desk.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Mr. Potter, I simply wanted to inform you of a recent development that I suspect will have you celebrating until the early hours of the morning." Harry quirked an eyebrow. "Earlier today, Draco Malfoy was expelled from Hogwarts by the Headmaster and I. We visited him in St. Mungo's."

Harry couldn't believe it. He smiled widely. "And his wand?" The woman nodded with a knowing smile on her face.

"Snapped, Mr. Potter. Now, stop smiling and-" Dobby the house elf popped into the room right in front of Harry, and began to squeak.

"Master Harry Potter sir, your Miss is needing your help." Harry panicked.

"Who, Dobby?"

"Miss Daffy!" Dobby nearly yelled.

"Daphne! Excuse me Professor. Where is she?"

"Miss has locked herself in the Come and Go Room, but Dobby is still being able to pop in."

"Take me," Harry stuck out his hand without hesitation and vanished with a pop. McGonagall blinked and shook her head.

Harry appeared in a dark and bare room. Dobby left as soon as Harry's feet hit the floor, perhaps sensing the need for privacy. At first, Harry did not see Daphne anywhere. However, he heard a muffled sniffle from one of the corners of the room. She was curled up in a corner. He quickly walked over. She looked up in shock, not having realized he had appeared. He could clearly see that her eyes were puffy and red. She had been crying for a while.

"Harry! What- how did you get in?"

Harry waved his hand dismissively. "I'm a god among men, not important." She gave a light laugh, and Harry dropped to his knees and tried to hug her. She shifted away and she began to sob. "What is it, Daphne? What happened?"

"My life is over, Harry." She threw a letter onto the floor, and Harry picked it up, reading quickly.

_Dear Daphne,_

_We were happy to hear that you are keeping up with your schoolwork. Hopefully, your sister is doing the same. _

We're writing to you earlier in the week than usual, because we have a pressing matter to which we must attend. Your father and I recently had a visit from the Dark Lord, and he has made us a most beneficial proposition. It is our understanding that Theodore Nott, a charming young man, is quite the eligible bachelor. This is a great day for our family. Young Master Nott has been offered your hand in marriage, and he has gracefully accepted. We require your presence at home in order for you to sign the paperwork. We anticipate that, if all goes well, you will be happily married before the end of the year.

Congratulations, darling. We wish you nothing but the best.

Love,

Father and Mother

Daphne did not dare to look at the young green-eyed man standing beside her. She looked up only when he stood with a growl. The letter dropped to the floor a moment before raw magic exploded from his hands and scorched the floor. Electricity crackled around Harry, and he took deep breaths.

Daphne was frightened at his reaction. "Harry?"

He turned to her slowly. "It's not you, I just… ARGH!" Harry yelled and spun around, throwing up his hands and releasing a massive burst of white fire. Daphne flinched as the felt a bit of the heat, despite the flames being nowhere near her. "Sorry about that. Had to get it out of my system. This, this is," Harry said, looking at the letter. "I can't, I don't even- this is not going to happen." Daphne's eyes widened.

"But, it's a marriage contract, you know that. I can't get out of it, as soon as I sign the paper, I'll be magically bound to marry that, that, bigoted pig!" She began to cry again. "They'll make me sign it. I'll have no choice. I can't imagine my mother going along with this, but my father probably sees it as the sensible thing to do to keep the family s-safe-"

"No. No, no, no. DOBBY." The elf appeared a split second later. Harry bent down to take Daphne's hand. "Gringotts right now." Harry commanded in a cold voice. Dobby didn't even pause to nod.

A pop signalled the arrival of yet another client into the lobby of the Wizarding bank. There was a line in front of every teller, but the new arrival didn't have the time or the patience at the moment to wait in any of them. He walked right past the waiting people, and approached the only goblin he recognized.

"-and this form will need to be returned upon the dispensation of the funds-"

"Griphook."

"-Lord Potter-Black, if you would please-"

"I have one question, then I'll leave you alone."

The goblin grumbled but excused himself from his work. "Yes, my lord."

"How fast can Gringotts apply every protective ward it offers onto a property of my choosing?" Daphne didn't understand what they were doing at Gringotts, but she was still distraught by her terrible situation, so she let Hary hold her hand and did not interrupt.

"For a distinguished client such as yourself, two hours would be the fastest possible deployment of every defensive ward we offer. I assume price is not an issue?"

"You assume correctly. Thank you. Dobby! Take us to the Greengrass home." Harry's expression darkened as he disappeared.

A/N: Ooh, a cliffy! I won't keep you in suspense long though. I'm already writing the next chapter, which will be Chapter 14: Daring.

Oh no, a marriage contract. It had to be in there somewhere. Marriage contracts follow Daphne Greengrass through nearly every fic on this site. :P why not mine too?

R&R!


	14. Daring

Chapter 14: Daring

A/N: More excitement as usual. Never a dull moment with Harry Potter. There's also the small little issue of one of his new friends being signed away like a piece of land. Theodore Nott, too! Christ! Also, the consensus seems to mostly be on wolf for Harry's animagus. Big black wolf with green eyes is what I'm hoping to leave it at. Thanks for your inputs.

* * *

Harry Potter, Daphne Greengrass, and Dobby the house elf appeared in the entrance hall of an elegant house. Harry sent Dobby away, and, letter in one hand and Daphne's hand in the other, he began to walk forward. Opening a door rather violently, they came to a sitting room. Harry looked around, green fire in his eyes. There was a young man and an older man standing in front of a couple that was sitting on a luxurious leather couch. Harry didn't waste any time.

"Ah, Daphne. Er, who is your little friend? And why are you holding his-"

"Are you Lord Greengrass?" Harry spoke impatiently to the rather portly man on the couch.

"Yes, I am, and who the _blasted _hell are you? Daphne-"

"Shut up!" Harry said in such a manner that made all present flinch. A beautiful Louis XIV vase exploded in the background. Harry walked forward a step and threw the rumpled letter into the man's lap. He inspected it, and looked up.

"Who are you, young man? And what business is this of yours?"

"I am Lord Harry Potter-Black, and I am here for one reason, and one reason ONLY." Harry stared directly into his eyes as his magic crackled again. "This marriage will _not_ happen."

Lord Greengrass jumped to his feet, drawing his wand, as his wife simply stared open-mouthed at the goings-on. "Listen here, boy, you will NOT DICTATE WHAT I DO WITH MY DAUGHTER!" Harry slammed his open palm into the man's chest, and a burst of magic blew him back onto the couch and singed the edges of his robes.

"SIT DOWN!" Harry nearly screamed in rage, and Daphne gave a small squeak of fear from behind him. She backed away toward the door. The young Nott leered at her as his father watched the confrontation, enraged. "You misunderstand if you think that I am asking you nicely. I am informing you in an aggressive manner that your eldest daughter will NOT marry Death Eater scum simply because you want to curry favour with Volde-bloody-mort!"

"You have no IDEA of the situation, you stupid ignorant boy! This is not up to you any more than it really is up to me! What am I doing, explaining myself to you? Get out of my house before I curse you, you dog!" Greengrass stood up once more, levelling his wand at Harry. It was not even halfway up before Harry's wand snapped into his hand and a Disarming Charm blew into him so roughly that he was thrown clear over the couch. As he struggled to stand up, Harry walked up to him and lifted him to his feet.

"I will repeat what I said. Daphne will NOT marry Death Eater _scum_. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way." Energy once again crackled between Harry's fingers, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the older man. "Would you like to know what the options are, Lord Greengrass?" He nodded, not wanting to risk being electrocuted again. The man had a hunch that he would not survive it again. "You can withdraw your offer, rescind the contract, OR, I can find Theodore Nott, and kill him." Daphne and her mother both sucked in a breath as the Lord Greengrass looked at the boy.

"And what if I refuse and you do not kill the boy? I very much doubt you are powerful enough to accomplish such a thing."

"That is a dangerous thing to say. If Daphne marries Theodore Nott, I will come back here." Harry leaned forward, mere inches away from the man's face. "I will come back here, and I will bring this house down around you. I will burn you. Your skin will drip through the cracks in your floor like _candle wax_. Do you understand me? You are a _disgusting _creature. Willing to sell your daughter away like cattle." Harry's eyes narrowed. "CATTLE, LORD GREENGRASS! You would condemn your own flesh and blood to a life of rape," Harry spat, and the Lady Greengrass flinched and began to cry. "Of torture, a life of living with the constant fear of the Cruciatus, of the Imperius, of the Killing Curse, Greengrass. Don't cringe, you stupid _bastard_. Nott is a Death Eater. Do you think he taught his son how to rape? Do you think he taught him how to LOAN his wife to his BUDDIES for their enjoyment?" Lady Greengrass choked back a sob. Her husband had paled considerably. "DO you think he taught his son how to cast the Choking curse? How about the Flesh Burner? Why wouldn't he, Greengrass? Everyone should know how to burn off all of a person's skin at once, shouldn't they? What if your daughter shows up in your DINING ROOM missing her skin? What if she couldn't cry anymore because her tear ducts had been burned shut? What are you, Greengrass?" Daphne's mother was sobbing openly, and even her father had a tear in his eye. Harry did not know how Daphne was holding up, but he didn't want to know yet.

"What would you have me do, boy? We are all dead right now if I disobey He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Harry saw the man's eyes dart to look over his shoulder. He turned around, his wand in his hand. Finally, he had noticed the two other occupants of the room. Immediately, he recognized the younger one. It was the very same Slytherin who had expressed his disapproval of Harry's presence at the Slytherin table. Harry's stomach tightened as he fought the urge to end him where he stood.

"So this… is what you meant by _your woman_." Harry nodded to himself as the younger Nott sneered and Lord Nott stepped forward, drawing his wand. "You are despicable. You couldn't get a girlfriend because every sane girl finds you, no doubt, repulsive. So, just like Malfoy, you looked to your father to buy a girl for you, so you can MOUNT her at your pleasure." Harry looked over at a crying and shaking Daphne. "Malfoy will get exactly what he deserves. You, you _foul insect_, will get yours right now." Lord Nott stepped forward with a smirk on his face.

"Come, Potter, let us settle this like men," he laughed lightly. After all, what could a 16-year-old bigheaded boy do to a wizard like him, with years of experience in dark magic?

Magic arced out of Harry, scorching the floor. The opulent floor-length window across the room cracked. "My name. Is Potter-Black. And _you_. Are NOT. A MAN! _ARDENS CARNIS!_" Nott's face contorted in rage as he put up a shield. The red curse hit the shield and exploded, but the force was simply too great. The man was thrown back, crashing straight through the wood paneling, reaching the stone underneath. The young Nott yelped as splinters embedded into his arm and he was knocked to the floor by the shockwave. Harry did not even blink as chunks of wood flew his way. His magic arced out and a thin rivulet of lightning hit each of the thousands of the hundreds of miniscule pieces. He advanced through the cloud of dust. "_Conferrumino_," Harry growled. Lord Nott opened his eyes as he felt a strange sensation. He began to scream as the texture of the stone seemed to melt onto his arms and legs. He could not move any more. He continued to scream in agony as he watched his limbs turn to stone.

"_Accio _portkey," Harry cast, and nodded to himself, as his hunch was confirmed and a quill flew out of the man's robes and into his hand. "_Imperio!_" Harry cast shamelessly. The Imperius curse was one of the least harmful spells he intended to cast. The Greengrass family were struck dumb by the casual way in which Harry wreaked havoc upon the Death Eater. "You will tell me where this portkey leads."

The man's eyes opened wide, but he began to speak. "Headquarters." That was all Harry needed.

"Thank you kindly," he said dismissively as he turned to the cowering Theodore Nott, who was still clutching his arm in pain. Harry approached him and grabbed him by the collar, twisting his body to face Daphne. "Take a good look, Nott. _Enjoy it_. It comes at a heavy price." He threw him against the wall, beside his father, and cast the Fusion Charm at the terrified boy. He too began to scream incoherently as his limbs became one with the wall.

Harry faced a sobbing and cursing older Nott. "This contract was your doing. You helped bully a family into selling one of the two most precious things they have in this world. Tell your half-blood snake of a master what happened to you. Tell Voldemort everything. If you're lucky, he'll kill you on the spot. If you're not lucky, he'll add to your pain. I have no sympathy for you. I remember the Department of Mysteries. _Adhaesi._" He used the Sticking Charm to place the portkey quill beside a wailing Nott on the wall.

"One day I will see you in hell, and I will sell my _soul_ for front-row seats. _Ardens carnis._" Nott began to scream again as his skin burst into flame, but the curse was not lethal. Harry backed away slightly, and tapped the quill with his wand, activating the portkey. As Harry had anticipated, it took both Notts with it, as well as the section of wall they were attached to.

Harry looked around the room, and was relieved that Daphne had left. He was glad. He didn't want her to see what he did. He was not ashamed, but it was sickening nonetheless. Lady Greengrass had fainted, Harry guessed, a long time before he finished with the Notts. Her husband simply stared at the hole in his wall. Harry Ennervated the woman, who looked around terrified. "You're safe, madam. I will not hurt you." As a show of good faith, Harry stowed his wand back in his holster. He crouched in front of her and made eye contact. "Daphne is my friend. I did not do this so I could claim her for myself. I did this because I respect her, and I want her to live a long and happy life free of horrible ordeals. I would be lucky to have her as a wife, but that is neither here nor there. Lord Greengrass, I apologize for what I have done to your home, and the way I have attacked you. I came here to save your daughter's life. I can offer you protection from the Death Eaters and Voldemort." Both Greengrasses jumped slightly at the name. Harry ignored them in favour of continuing. "Four hours from now, your home can be warded with the strongest protections that the goblins of Gringotts have to offer. The last time I checked, the total would be around five hundred thousand galleons." Daphne's father blinked.

"I cannot afford such a thing, Potter."

"Potter-Black, sir. And the money is irrelevant. I will pay it."

"Why, so you can collect interest on it? You would bankrupt us," the man exclaimed angrily.

"You misunderstand. I don't care in the least about the money. I recently purchased a restaurant valued at nine hundred thousand galleons without breaking a sweat. You don't understand the amount of gold I have at my disposal."

"You would squander half a million galleons to ward a home that is not your own?" Lady Greengrass spoke up incredulously.

"Not squander, madam. I don't want to see Daphne become an orphan like me. I… I never knew my parents. I have gotten used to not having any. Daphne would never be the same if you were killed. I didn't do all this," Harry waved his hand at the destroyed wall, "just so I can watch her retreat into herself after the death of her parents." The two people in front of him stared dumbly. "Do you accept my offer?"

"I'm not sure," Greengrass began to say, but his wife cut across him.

"Yes, yes we do. The sooner you can have the wards put up, the better. Thank you for… what you did. And what you will do. I owe you a debt of gratitude for what you've done here today. My daughter owes you as well." The woman began to cry again, and Harry made a gesture his head at her husband. The man enveloped his crying wife in an embrace as Harry walked out of the room. He spotted a puffy-eyed Daphne sitting against the wall in the entrance hallway. She jumped as he came out, and hugged him for all she was worth. But there was no time to waste. As he stroked the distraught girl's hair, he called Dobby.

"Dobby, go to Gringotts. Find Griphook. Tell him to apply the full defensive ward package on the Greengrass home. Tell him to charge it to my vault, and make Lord Greengrass the master of the wards. Go now." Dobby nodded and vanished immediately.

A/N: Wow! Harry really _does_ have a dark side. But damn did those idiots deserve it. Probably not as bad as what they're getting from ol' Tommy, though. Next, Chapter 15: I haven't decided on a title yet!

R&R!


	15. Closer

Chapter 15: Closer

A/N: Rating has been upped to Mature. Between the curses flying around and the lemons I feel coming, it's probably for the best. Hope the rating change doesn't stop anyone from reading. You poor sheltered souls :P

* * *

Harry opened his eyes and looked around. The chair he had fallen asleep in was not any more comfortable than he remembered it being before he fell asleep. He had taken Daphne back to Hogwarts. It had been late, and Harry had not wanted, in her present emotional state, to take her back to the Slytherin dorms. So instead he had led her to the Room of Requirement. On any other occasion, it would've seemed that Harry was trying to get her into bed with him, but sex was the farthest thing from the young man's mind as he put Daphne on a bed that the Room had produced, and fell into a nearby chair. Harry groaned in pain as he stood up. The backrest had not been kind to him. His black-haired friend was still sleeping soundly, so he decided not to wake her. After quickly stretching and yawning, Harry left the Room. As soon as the door shut it began to melt away, leaving behind nothing but an unblemished wall.

"Dobby." Harry called out and the elf appeared. "Daphne's still sleeping inside the Room. Can you pop in there and watch her for me? If she wakes up, bring her whatever she'd like for breakfast. Can you do that?" Dobby nodded, smiling.

"Yes Master Harry Potter sir."

"Oh, and if she asks, I went to get Tracey." Dobby nodded again, and vanished when Harry waved his hand at him. He began the walk to the Great Hall.

Tracey Davis had not gotten much sleep the night before. She had worried herself half to death. Daphne had left Tracey in the library, and the girl had not seen her since. Worse than that, she had returned to her dormitory at all. Tracey was afraid that she might have been kidnapped, or worse. She frowned at her breakfast. It was only when she noticed someone sit beside her that she looked up, hoping it would be Daphne. It was not, but it was the next best thing.

"HARRY! Oh, I'm so glad to see you! Have you seen Daphne?" Tracey hugged him while talking frantically.

"Yeah, she's in the Room of Requirement sleeping." Tracey blinked.

"In the… sleeping. You didn't! Tell me you didn't!" Harry blinked as well.

"Didn't what?"

"Did you sleep with her?" Harry stared in shock.

"WHAT? No! No, she just had a rough time yesterday and I didn't want to bring her back. Did she… tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Tracey began to panic. "Oh Merlin, what happened to her?"

"She's not hurt or anything, she just… maybe we shouldn't talk about this here." Harry looked around, seeing a number of Slytherins trying to eavesdrop eagerly. Tracey and Harry got up from the table, a good number of eyes following them on their way out of the Hall. Harry steered them towards the Room of Requirement as he began to explain.

"Yesterday, Daphne got a letter from her parents."

"Yeah, I remember, in the morning. It was from her parents? What did it say?"

"They basically told her nicely that they had arranged a marriage contract between her and Theodore Nott." Tracey stopped walking and began to yell.

"WHAT! BUT HE'S A LITTLE DEATH EATER PIG! HE-"

"I KNOW. Let me finish, Tracey." The girl looked down sheepishly and nodded. "Anyway. Dobby came to get me. He told me that Daphne was in the Room of Requirement and that she needed my help. I was actually having an amazing conversation with McGonagall about Malfoy being expelled, but-"

"WHAT! He's been-"

"Tracey! If you don't let me finish, I'll put you on my knee and spank you." Tracey's eyes widened and she looked scandalized. "Actually, no, I won't. You might enjoy that. So, yeah, Dobby took me to the Room right away, and it was dark in there, Daphne was in a corner crying. I asked her what was wrong, she showed me the letter, and then I had Dobby quickly pop us to Gringotts."

"What for?"

"I needed to find out how quickly defensive wards could be put up on a house by the goblins. Takes about 4 hours, it turns out."

"Whose home were you warding?"

"No one's yet. Then I asked Dobby to take us to the Daphne's house." Tracey nodded for him to go on. "I, uh… went a little spare." Harry scratched the back of his head.

"What do you mean, you went a little spare? What'd you do?"

"I kind of… yelled at her father. I may have forced him to sit down with magic. I also may have called him a few nasty things." Tracey stared at him.

"What'd you say to him?"

"I told him that Daphne's not going to marry the son of a Death Eater, or else."

"…Or else what?" Harry puffed out his cheeks, and blew out the air slowly.

"Or else I would melt his body… and burn down his house." Harry bit his lip and clicked his tongue.

"Oh." Tracey gaped at him. "Is that _all_ you did?" She asked sarcastically.

"No, actually. I described to him what life as the wife of Death Eater would be like. Daphne's mom was crying. Well, no, she was sobbing her heart out. Her father was crying a little too." Tracey couldn't believe what Harry had done, but she knew him well enough to know that he wasn't done.

"And thennnn?"

"Annnnnnd them I noticed Theodore Nott and his Death Eater father standing in the room with us."

"Oh Merlin, no. What did you do to them?"

Harry looked offended. "Why do you assume I did anything to them?"

"Well, first, I've seen you duel." Harry winced at the plain truth. "Second, the casual way in which you talk about makes me think that something horrible happened to them. So, what did you do?"

"I'd… I'd rather not say." Harry looked guiltily at his feet.

"What did you _do_, Harry Potter?" Secretly, Tracey hoped he gave those two bastards everything they deserved and more, but she had to play the part of the friend concerned for Harry's conscience.

Harry mumbled something that Tracey couldn't hear. "I'm sorry, what? Say that again louder."

"I, uh… maybe blew Nott Senior into a wall…"

"And?"

"And then I turned his arms and legs into part of the wall." Tracey's mouth formed an O shape. It would've been quite comical if either of them were in a laughing mood.

The blonde Slytherin was almost afraid to ask. "And then?"

Harry sighed, resigning himself to telling the girl everything. "Then I did the same to Nott junior. And then I burned off all of Nott Senior's skin." Harry winced in advance at Tracey's reaction, but she merely nodded her head for him to continue. "Annnnnd then I portkeyed the entire piece of wall they were stuck to into Voldemort's headquarters." Tracey sucked in a breath.

"Tracey, please don't tell Daphne. I don't think she saw most of the last bit, and… And I don't want her to see that side of me. I don't want her to be scared of me." Something occurred to Harry. "Are… you scared of me now?" He looked away from her.

"No, I'm not. I was when I saw you duel Malfoy that night in front of the dorms. But I remember how you cast that Sticking Charm on my seat when I flipped over the car." She smiled at him. "That was really sweet, I don't think I'll ever forget that." She kissed him on the cheek. "I don't think you should worry about Daphne being scared of you, or disgusted or whatnot. You got her out of a marriage to Theodore Nott. I think the ends justify the means here, Harry."

Harry sighed. "You didn't see the means. Just… don't tell her, please. If she asks you, tell her to ask me."

"Alright, I will." The two teens reached the seventh floor. The door to the Room of Requirement was still not there, which meant that Daphne was still inside. Harry called Dobby, and told him to pop them in.

They appeared in the Room just as Daphne was taking off her shirt and preparing to put on another. Harry stood there, still holding Dobby's hand. He figured that the mood could stand to get lighter, so he returned to his usual Sirius business.

"That. Is a heart-warming sight, Miss Greengrass." Daphne yelped and turned around, quickly slipping on the other shirt.

"Harry! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

Harry approached her, intentionally not taking his eyes from her chest. The blue bra he knew she was wearing underneath was quite captivating even unseen. "If there was a door," Harry nodded. "I would've knocked." He shrugged. "Then again," he said, looking up at her, "maybe not." Dropping all pretense of a joke, he hugged her tightly.

"How are you holding up?" Daphne smiled at the gesture.

"Pretty good, actually. I'm just hungry. But I think breakfast is already over." Tracey nodded at her.

"Yeah, it is. We were just there a few minutes ago. But uh, Dobby can bring us something?"

"Yeah. Dobby!" The elf appeared and vanished just as quickly. He returned levitating three lavish breakfast trays, filled with fruit, pancakes, sausages, bacon, and many other simple morning delicacies. "Just set them down, uh, on the table." Harry concentrated on needing a table to eat on, and a long black wooden table appeared in the middle of the room. Dobby snapped his fingers and the trays places themselves on the new table as he disappeared with a small pop.

"Harry, did you sleep in that chair last night?"

"Yeah. It worked wonders for my back. See, I used to have a pain on my lower right side, but now the pain has switched to my lower left side. I've never felt better. I may actually sleep in a chair every night." Harry smirked, but quickly stopped as Daphne looked down. "Wha- hey. Don't look at me like that, it was worth it to make sure you were okay." He smiled a genuine smile at her, and she gladly returned it as they sat down and began to eat.

In a extravagant mansion very far away, The Dark Lord Voldemort walked out of his private bed chamber and into his throne room, where he was met with a most curious sight.

There was what appeared to be a piece of a wall standing in the middle of the room facing his throne. Drawing his wand, he approached the oddity. On the other side of it he found Theodore Nott Senior as well as Theodore Nott Junior, both somehow magically attached to the wall they were on. Their extremities were seemingly melted into the stone. The Dark Lord thought he recognized the effects of an old fusion charm he had once seen. What was slightly more disturbing, and perhaps what had given the throne room a pungent odour, was the fact that Theodore Nott Senior had only a few charred inches of skin left anywhere on his body. Most of his skin had seemingly been burned off and the resulting flesh had been cauterized simultaneously. Voldemort was, of course, familiar with the Flesh Burning curse. It was a useful spell. The bodies of enemies or failures that were tortured in such a manner were strong motivators when put on display. He casually flicked his wand and Ennervated the older Nott. To his surprise, the man did not scream, only moved his head from side to side, groaning.

"Nott, you have failed me. I told you to get your son married to the Greengrass girl, I told you that then we would have yet another pureblood family at our side, and that they would do anything we told them, since we would have their oh so beautiful daughter by the hair. You have not brought the girl, and you are rather not in a position to do so. You will tell me one thing before I kill you. Who did this?"

"It was Potter. Harry Potter came to the house and attacked us. He was-" Nott coughed violently, but his predicament prevented him from shaking too much. "-so strong. Knew dark magic. He-"

"-yes, burned your skin off. I can smell that, you imbecile. _Ennervate_." The younger Nott woke up, and began to struggle against his limbs, yelling for help, before he realized where he was and who was in front of him. "Good morning, Theodore. Your father was weak and has outlived his usefulness. He failed to secure the Greengrass girl. I woke you up so you could watch him die. Learn from his death. _Avada kedavra._" The boy flinched as his father died before his eyes, but he did not dare speak. "You will not return to Hogwarts. You will stay here, and once Draco arrives, you will train with him. You will train, and then you will take your revenge on Harry Potter. And you will have your wife." The only living Theodore Nott lifted his head, a crazed glint in his eye.

Harry had had an enjoyable morning with his two Slytherin friends. They had laughed and smiled and chased each other around the grounds. But, alas, the time flew, and soon came classes. As Harry walked out Transfiguration, Hermione caught up to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Oh. Hi Hermione." Harry said quietly, not really knowing what to expect. The two best friends had recently grown apart.

"Hi Harry. I wanted to talk to you…"

"Oh?"

"I've missed you." The bushy-haired girl said, looking up at him. Harry did a double-take. No, not her too. He really didn't need another Ginny.

"Uh, well, that's… I've missed you too, Hermione. How have you been?" The two teens began to talk in earnest as they walked towards Gryffindor Tower. Harry quickly found that Hermione showed absolutely no sign of having an unhealthy obsession with him, and he was massively relieved.

"Harry, I've heard all sorts of crazy rumours about you. Is it true that you've made friends with Slytherins? I'm not so sure about them, Harry."

"Yes Hermione, Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis have become some of my closest friends recently." The girl grimaced and looked away from Harry as she realized that once upon a time, it had been her name that had been appearing before _my closest friend_. "They're actually very nice people, if you can look past their house. Even though it's only been two weeks, we've already been through a lot together, and I really enjoy spending time with both of them. But enough about them. How has everything been life been for you these past weeks?" Hermione shrugged.

"Good, I guess. Obviously, I've been keeping on top of all my coursework, and I've had even more time to make sure my essays are perfect now that Ronald doesn't pester me with his own assignments anymore." Harry's face lost all emotion as he heard the redhead's name.

"He hasn't been bothering you, has he? I swear if he lays his hands on you I'll rip them off!" Hermione looked quite alarmed at the prospect, and hurried to reassure him.

"No, Harry, he hasn't said a word to me in days. You can… leave his arms attached to him." She crinkled her nose as she unwittingly pictured an arm being torn off of a body.

"Oh. Well. It's always an option!" Harry said brightly, and gave Hermione a one-armed hug. They stopped right outside the Gryffindor common room, and she gave him a full-on Hermione hug that left Harry needing air. As she spoke the new password (Harry hadn't been aware that it had changed), the climbed through the portrait hole and came upon a most curious sight.

Ginny and Dean were locked in a passionate embrace on one of the couches. Dean's hand was tangled in Ginny's long red hair, and his other hand was on her bottom. They seemed to tongue-wrestle for a moment as Harry and Hermione walked by them.

"Hello Dean. No need to be so tongue-in-cheek." Harry chirped, and Dean paused his activities to look up.

"Oh hiya Harry, sorry, was a little busy."

"No problem, mate, I know the feeling," Harry nodded to him and smirked. Dean grinned back. "But seriously, congratulations," Harry said, approaching the couch. "I'm happy for you guys." Ginny smiled and thanked him, but she was inwardly seething. Even now, as he saw another man do as he pleased with her, he did not realize that they were meant to be together. He had not shown even the slightest twinge of jealousy, and this displeased Ginny to no end. She stood up suddenly, leaving Dean in mid-kiss on the couch.

"Ginny, what- Ginny! Oi!"

Harry sat with Hermione on the steps leading to the Gryffindor sixth year boys' dormitory. "That was strange, wasn't it? Was it just me, or was she making a lot of eye contact with me for someone who's supposed to be making out with another guy?" Harry knew he had not imagined it, but he needed to confirm anyway.

"I saw that too," Hermione nodded. "I hope she isn't trying to use Dean to make you jealous or something stupid and immature like that."

"Ginny wouldn't do that… would she?"

"She could, I think."

"Merlin! And to think I congratulated Dean… maybe I should've wished him luck instead." Hermione gave a little laugh.

"You're a prat, you know that?" Harry nodded happily. "So when are you going to introduce me to your new friends?"

"I thought you didn't like them because they're in Slytherin."

"No Harry, I thought you knew me better. I just meant I don't trust them because they're in Slytherin. But all trusts starts somewhere."

"Well alright, fair enough. Let's go right now. You can meet them, they're probably in the library. Oh and you can meet my house elf while we're at it."

"WHAT!" Harry grinned.

A/N: What a peaceful chapter! Well, except for where Voldemort kills Nott Senior. But Harry didn't draw his wand at all or use any offensive magic! So there's that to be proud of. He's well on his way to being a pacifist. Also, I'm the Queen of England. Next, Chapter 16: Hogsmeade, Director's Cut.

R&R!


	16. Hogsmeade, Director's Cut

Chapter 16: Hogsmeade, Director's Cut

A/N: The Director's Cut of a movie generally features deleted and/or extended scenes. Sometimes because they were too risqué for the silver screen. You'll be happy to know I don't give a shit :P Read on for what you couldn't see in theatres. (This is the next chronological occurrence, it's not a flashback to the PWP we missed or something like that XD)

* * *

Harry woke up along with the rest of his dorm mates. The collective mood in the Gryffindor dorms was cheerful. Even Ron managed to crack a sort of half smile at Harry, but he quickly looked away so he didn't get too good a look. The boys hit the showers together, looking purposefully at the ceiling as they discussed the various arses they were going to get their hands on. Hypothetically.

"How about you, Seamus?"

"Aye, I'm eyeing a pretty lady meself. I cannae be sharin', though, so you'll be findin' yer own, black chap."

"That's fine, Seamus, I wouldn't want your sloppy seconds anyway, I might catch that seductive accent like the clap!"

"OI! My accent- oh, yeah, I reckon it IS seductive! What the hell's the clap?"

"Muggle thing! Nasty business!" Seamus made a face and Dean cracked a grin. The Gryffindor boys began towelling off.

"Dean, how's your meat?"

"Ready to fire, Seamus. How's yours?"

"Reloading!" The Irish boy chortled.

"Hey!" Harry yelled over the sound of running water. "Is there anyone here who doesn't want to talk about their cocks?"

"NO!" All the boys yelled their reply as one, and Harry laughed.

"Alright then!"

"Hey Harry!" Dean yelled.

"Yeah!"

"What's the point of having a fire hose if you live in an all brick town?"

Harry laughed. "No no, Dean, you've got it all wrong. I recently moved into a village of huts. Fires every day, gentlemen!" The boys shook their heads. Harry left the shower still laughing shortly after.

"Neville, we'll each pay you a sickle if you say it."

"4 Sickles? That's not bad for one sentence. Alright, I suppose."

Harry walked into the Great Hall and found his two favourite Slytherins. He did not notice Neville Longbottom trailing behind him.

"Hey Tracey, Daphne. How are you?"

"Great! Splendid!"

"Smashing!" The girls smiled up at him.

Harry sat down in between them. "You know, when you're both smiling like this, it gets me to thinking. What would a threesome with you two be like?" Pancakes shot out of Daphne's mouth and juice shot out of Tracey's nose.

"Excuse me."

He turned around to see Neville standing in front of him with his hands in his pockets. He continued as the girls turned around too. "I wanted to let you know that should ladies every catch fire, Harry's your man." Harry smiled pleasantly as the girls reddened.

"Thank you Neville. You should also know that I can handle a boat," Harry slung his arms over the two Slytherins' necks, "With a nice," Harry pulled them closer together, "strong," he continued, "headwind. And some seamen." Neville pieced it together and snorted his appreciation as he walked away.

Tracey and Daphne shook their heads. "You're lucky we like you Potter. Some of the things that come out of your mouth are disgusting."

"Ah, you shan't be saying that when my mouth if _muffled_." Daphne blinked in confusion, but Tracey was right there with him and blushed heavily.

"Shut up and eat, or we won't make it to Hogsmeade at all."

Draco struggled with the duel. Nott was fast, not as fast as Potter, he had never seen anyone react that fast, but the skinny bugger was still quick on his feet. He dodged a Blasting Curse and threw back a couple of conjured knives that quickly turned into birds, flying back to attack him.

"_Incendio!_" The birds became barbecue, and they dropped to the ground.

"_Ardens carnis_!" Nott fired the spell that had stripped his father of all dignity. He was talented with it. It sentimental value to him.

The curse sizzled against a shield, and Malfoy returned fire with a Blood Draining curse, a nasty piece of business.

He saw the Dark Lord watching through the doorway, and decided to step it up a notch for his master. "_Imperio!_" Nott became very still. "_Crucio!_" He curled into himself as he screamed and contorted in agony. "_Suffoca!_" The screams stopped, only to be replaced by rasping noises.

"Leave your mark, Draco. Make sure he never forgets that he was not the best. Be brutal to your enemies. Their friends will not forget it."

Draco nodded in cold understanding, standing over Theodore Nott. He aimed his wand and fired. "_Sectumsempra!_" The scar on Nott's torso would never fade.

Harry and Daphne walked down a Hogsmeade street. Tracey had begged off the trip to the joke shop in favour of going to get some sorely needed supplies. The two teens walked shoulder to shoulder, chatting lightly. Daphne occasionally glanced at Harry, but only when he wasn't looking. She burned the profile of his face into her brain permanently as they walked. Harry had noticed that she was periodically looking at him. At first he thought he had something on his face, but as she continued to look, he began to unravel the mystery. She was checking him out! Or at least, checking out his face! What a strange thing! So he began to count the seconds between her looks. She averaged about 8 or 9 seconds from the time she looked away to the time she turned her head back. Harry had excellent peripheral vision, as Sirius had also had. Daphne's field of view was narrower, so when she looked away from him, she could not see what he was doing. Harry prepared himself. As she looked away, he pulled his hands out of his pockets, put an arm around her waist, and lifted her slightly off her feet as he moved her into the narrow space between two houses.

"Eight seconds, gorgeous." Daphne blinked.

"Eight seconds?"

"Yeah. That's how long it takes you. You should switch it up to make sure I don't catch on and sweep you off your feet into an alleyway." She turned bright red upon finding that she had been discovered. "Dangerous things happen in alleyways."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't hurt me." He smiled and kissed her. It was slow and sweet, not like what always ended up happening with Tracey. Harry only wanted to show this girl affection. He reached up to cup her face, and he could feel her smile. He moved his head back to look at her, but while her face does look great, there's a time and a place. This was neither. They kissed again, and he pushed her gently against the wall. His lips pressed into hers he felt himself begin harden. He wasn't sure how she'd react. A different Harry would have pulled away and apologized, but why ruin a good moment. Maybe she wouldn't notice.

Hippogriff shite, she wouldn't notice. She shifted against him and groaned. "I feel that, Harry."

"Yeah? What do you supposed it means?" He moved down to her neck and began to trail light kisses on, stopping here and there, wherever he found that she would twitch. The minutes passed, and Harry slowly covered every inch of her sensitive neck. He had it memorized just in case. It was always a good idea to try and remember details for later. Daphne heard a first year laughing with his friends somewhere in the background, and pulled away from Harry slowly.

She tried to catch her breath. "You're good at that, Harry. I might just let you do that again."

Harry paused. How should he play this? "Assuming I want to," he said casually. Her face became downcast and he knew he had made the right decision. He leaned in and kissed her again. "Come on sunshine, turn that frown upside down." Daphne giggled and smiled brightly, allowing herself to be lead out of the alley and back on track to Zonko's. As they approached their destination, they noticed that someone had set up a stand on the other side of the street. The Weasley twins! Daphne was excited, she had always like the boys.

"Oh, if it isn't our dear partner! How are you Harry?"

"Partner?" Daphne asked Harry.

"Yeah, er… the three of us had a sort of relationship over the summer. It wasn't serious, but it was some of the best times of my life. Fred's the giver… George is more a taker. You know, he catches. George throws, as it were. And me. Well, I do whatever needs doing." The redhaired twins stood wide-eyed and mortified.

"What Harry means, is, uh, that we, that is to say, um." They both stuttered. Harry doubled over and began to laugh. The twins shook their heads at the same time. "You'll get yours, partner, you'll see." Daphne insisted with her question, so Harry told her that he had given the his Triwizard winnings to start their business. "We've only got a mail order service so far, but it's booming! Business is great! So we've set up a stand here and we're hoping people will notice us, since they're going into Zonko's. We're kind of hard to ignore anyway." One of the twings indicated to the bright purple sign that said "Weasley Wizarding Wheezes."

"Say, Daphne, would you like a free demonstration of our products? We won't hurt you… intentionally, anyway. You're under the protection of the great Lord Potter-Black." Harry rolled his eyes, and Daphne giggled as she began to watch the twins do what they did best. Harry told her quietly that he'd be going into the Three Broomsticks, and that he'll meet her there. He was hoping to find Hermione and make sure that she was alright. He reached the crowded pub, and waded through the crowd. Hermione was nowhere in sight, and he thought that maybe she had not even gone to Hogsmeade this weekend. As he continued to search, he bumped into a familiar body attached to a familiar pair of impressive breasts. Blonde hair obscured his vision.

"Hey Tracey!" Harry greeted.

"Hi Harry. Enjoying the feel?" Harry really didn't know why she bothered to try. His Sirius conscience would never allow him to become embarrassed so easily, so he instead took her up on the tease.

"Very much, actually," he said as he pressed even closer to her and reached around her waist and cup her shapely behind, squeezing it as he lifted her slightly off the ground with only his arms. She squealed, but no one in the pub took notice of what either of them was doing.

Tracey held onto his arms and noticed how strong he really was. "You have strong arms, Potter."

Harry smirked. It was time for yet another step up. "I bet you'd like them more if they were pinning you to the wall." The blonde's eyes widened as she flushed. "Yeah, you would. Oh, don't look at me like that."

"Or what?"

Harry shrugged, reaching down to her skirt. "Or _this_," Harry said as he moved a hand underneath and found the edge of her slim panties. He felt her dampness and dragged a finger upwards, feeling the small bump at the end that made her shudder. He raised his eyebrows and moved his hand away. He looked her in the eye, and turned around. He walked toward the bathroom. For Harry, every move was a gamble. He didn't know how these scenarios would play out, but he liked to pretend he did as they were going so that he could focus on enjoying it rather than worrying like usually would have. He went into one of the two bathrooms and closed the door. Leaning against the far wall, he waited. Thirty seconds passed and he began to feel stupid for waiting in a bathroom. As he began to push away from the wall and stand up properly, the door opened and a wild-eyed Tracey Davis came in. He drew his wand but she paid it no mind as he locked and Silenced the door. As little as Harry knew about women, he had been able to figure out an important thing about Tracey. She liked it a little rough. He pulled the girl to him and pressed her against the wall. She untucked her own shirt, and Harry's left hand left her waist and began to work its way up her front. His right hand, though, was leading the expedition into the blonde girl's panties. Every guy allows himself at least one moment where he can feel like he is a master of all things sexual. This was Harry's moment. Later he would look his enemies in the eye and tell them 'you have no _idea_ what my hands have done'. Harry felt only smooth skin as his fingers made their way lower. He started to kiss her, not wanting to give her time to realize that he was in fact pants at all this. There was no turning back. Panties are the point of no return, Harry knew. He felt a slope and was surprised. His entire dorm had sworn that the hole was somewhere on the front. Stupid idiots. The hole opens _down_, not sideways. Harry felt Tracey's wetness as he found the right place. He wasted no time in plunging a finger into her folds she trembled and groaned.

"Go ahead and scream, Tracey."

Tracey panted. "What makes you think you can make me scream?" Harry smirked and looked her in the eye as his thumb found the only thing that the Gryffindor sixth year boys had been right about so far. The magical little button was so tiny, but so powerful. As he pressed into it with his thumb, he gave the finger inside her a strong wiggle. More wet leaked out of her as Tracey screamed in his face. She gasped for breath. "You've made your point!"

"I've hardly started making my point." She whimpered as he added another finger, and screamed again as his two fingers reached deeper into her than had previously seemed possible. He thought he had felt a spot that was different than the others, but he couldn't be sure. Everything about this situation seemed unbelievably strange. He tried not to think about it. Thankfully, he had a screaming witch to distract him. He pulled out his fingers, and she groaned in displeasure.

"Nooooo, put that back."

"Make me," Harry said, as he rolled her little nub with his thumb and forefinger. She bucked towards him, and Harry slipped his middle finger back inside her. It slipped in without any issue, she was more than dripping wet. He found the spot he had discovered before, and curled his finger upwards into it as he gave his strongest tug yet on what he knew was her clit. Tracey screamed and pushed forward into him, trying to move his finger even deeper inside her, but he only flexed and unflexed his finger. She gave the loudest and longest scream yet, and fell into him, breathing heavily. He slid his finger out of her, and she shuddered as he did. His wand, always ready in his holster, moved into his hand, and he gave it the slightest of flicks, and his hand was suddenly clean, as was the wand. Harry righted her panties, or at least he thought he did.

"That was amazing. I've never come that hard. Ever. I hope you can do that again." Harry's brows flew upwards. "You're free to touch me wherever you want anytime you want. Just so long as you can do that again." Tracey walked out of the bathroom, not quite the same way as she had walked in. Harry followed her in silence. Outside the Three Broomsticks, Daphne was still watching the Weasley twins make various things transform and explode.

"Hey Daph," Tracey greeted.

"You alright Trace? You seem… weird."

"Oh yeah, this guy in there just… got under my skin. You know, some guys just do that. Like they have a talent for it."

"I know exactly what you mean. Come on, Harry will cheer us both up on the way back. But first, I'm going to explain to you how a Portable Swamp works."

A/N: That was like… a glass of Minute Maid right there. Also, was it just me, or does Harry have a blank check for the National Bank of Tracey? An unlimited Oyster card into her tube system? Hehe. Couldn't resist. Been to London. Having explored a few tubes before that one, I wasn't impressed. Never found old men and bombs in tubes before. Next, Chapter 17: Last-Minute.

R&R!


	17. Getting Some Rest

After a ridiculously long hiatus, I'm back! I've overcome a few RL hurdles and decided that this story was too much fun to abandon forever. Sincerest apologies for my absence and if you have any comments or questions I'll be regularly replying to my inbox messages now as well as reviews. Thanks. Also I know this chapter is not as long as usual, but it just seemed like I had so many chapter endings in here that it would've been stupid to continue writing.

Chapter 17: Getting Some Rest

Harry Potter woke up in his small rickety bed in the third and smallest bedroom at number 4 Privet Drive to the sound of tapping. Groping around in the inadequate light, he put on his glasses and stumbled out of bed, wondering who had sent an owl at this hour. The way his half-asleep brain figured it, whoever it was had either written from very far away, or kept a quite unusual schedule. Upon reaching the window, Harry noticed that in fact tapping on the window was a large and serious-looking screech owl, wearing a sort of collar with a golden "G" on it. Strange, Harry thought. He untied the scroll of parchment and the owl flew away as he was unrolling it.

"Dear sir or madam,

You have been listed as a primary beneficiary of the Last Will and Testament of the late Lord Sirius Orion Black. In my capacity as under-chief third rank of the Gringotts department for Posthumous Business, I request your presence in conference room 1 at 9 am tomorrow, for the reading of the will and the disposition of monies and properties following.

Should you find transport to our establishment problematic, you need only speak your name into this parchment at 9 am and it will act as a portkey. This is a privilege you are granted as, by our calculations, a future Esteemed Client.

The undersigned,

Shredbone"

Harry fell back onto his bed and the letter fluttered to the floor. There were already so many questions without answers. Why had there been so little warning from the goblins about this? For that matter, why hadn't Dumbledore mentioned anything about Sirius's will? After all they'd had plenty of time together when the overactive teen had redecorated his office.

The rest of the day passed without notice, bouncing from chore to chore, but no matter the kind of work, it was not enough to keep Harry's mind off of the impending grief he was expecting, not to mention whatever else was waiting for him in Sirius's will. Sleep finally claimed him and he woke with the sun the next day. Dressing quietly in his least horrid clothes and draping his school robe over them, he took a few deep breaths and paced, waiting for 9 am to inch its way there. Exactly as the dilapidated clock struck 9, he whispered his name into the parchment he had been clutching and was whisked away in a puff of colour.

Already wary, he landed miraculously on his feet in the atrium of the bank. He looked around at the tellers already toiling away at their desks, all seemingly grumbling about something or other. Dislike of mornings went beyond species, Harry noted dryly. For a moment he considered asking one of the goblins for directions to conference room one, but the idea appealed to him as much as the question would probably have appealed to them. Looking around once more, he spotted a large black set of double doors that positively screamed "CONFERENCE!" Upon passing through them, he was pleased to see that he had been right, and that his walk to conference room one would be short, as it was numbered quite clearly right in front of him, the door slightly ajar.

"- I understand that you are a busy man, Client Dumbledore, but we must all wait on one more primary beneficiary before the proceedings can begin," Harry heard a goblin say. Dumbledore was here?

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," Harry said under his breath as he pushed the door open, taking in a scene quite different that what he has been expecting. A good portion of the Order of the Phoenix was in attendance. Tonks, Moody, Shacklebolt, Remus, Dumbledore, among a few others. As everyone in the room turned to face him, Harry's brain began to rush towards many conclusions and reactions, but one was indubitably prevalent.

"Harry, my boy!" The bearded Headmaster exclaimed, constructing the correct thing to say in the rapidly-deteriorating situation. "What a surprise to see you here!" Judging by the look on his young charger's face, that had been entirely the wrong thing to say.

"Why is it a surprise, Dumbledore? Because I'm supposed to still be locked in my room at the Dursleys? Because I'm not supposed to know about the will of my own GODFATHER? When I smashed half your office, I thought we had come to an agreement about me being a mushroom!"

Bewildered, the Headmaster took the bait. "Mushroom? I'm afraid I don't understand, Harry."

"Well so far you've fed me shit and kept me in the dark!" The room sat in stunned silence as Dumbledore' brow furrowed.

"Harry, you must understand, I was trying to protect you, to spare you more heartache when you've already had so much."

"All of which I suffered because of YOU!" Turning to the goblin. Harry calmed himself. "I apologize for my outburst Under-chief Shredbone, I'm ready when you are." The goblin nodded and unfurled a parchment he had been holding.

"So begins the Will Reading of one Sirius Orion Black," the goblin began reading. "I, Sirius Orion Black, being of sound mind and assuredly sound body, hereby declare this my Last Will and Testament." Harry shifted on his feet slightly, leaning against the wall. "I'm addressing this to Harry James Potter, my God-son, and my best and only hope for my true legacy. Harry, you're young now, barely a few months out of the belly of the dragon, as I often call your mother, but already I know you're going to be quite the lady killer when you get out of those diapers! But siriusly. Ha. Haha! I'm sorry. Look, Harry. Times are harsh these days, that's why I'm sitting here writing this, and in case I never get to tell you in person, I love you. Don't quote me. I can't imagine a world without Sirius Black in it, but obviously if you're reading this, I've passed on, hopefully under or on top of the best lay of my life! Harry, I've left you almost everything. I have nobody else to leave it to, and I know you'll abuse it all the least! Heck, you might even go and get married some day, just like your old man. You're going to be the new Lord Black, and that also means emancipation if you're not yet over 17. Give'em hell! I've left instructions with Gringotts for some money to be distributed to a few people. And with that, I'll leave you with one final remark: "One up the bum, and you won't be a mum!"

Harry didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he did a choked-up version of both, leaning heavily against the wall and clenching his fists. After a few silent minutes in which no one was sure what to say, Harry straightened out and took another moment to check himself, and began to walk towards the front of the room. Dumbledore stood up and began to speak, but Harry walked right by him without so much as a second glance.

"Please send whatever documents you have for me by owl to me, if it's not too much trouble," Harry said to Shredbone, and began walking towards the doors. Shacklebolt stood up and drew his wand, considering if the boy should be allowed to simply leave without any kind of accompaniment, but the decision was taken from him as two heavily-armored goblin soldiers opened the doors abruptly and stood at attention with the wrong side of their halberds pointing at the tall black Auror. Kingsley sat back down without any hesitation. The goblins of Gringotts had very strict policies, and it did not do to antagonize them in any way.

Harry walked out of conference room 1, and past the counter and the queue of witches and wizards. Pulling his Gringotts letter out of his pocket and unfolding it, he crossed through the edge of the wards and came to a stop.

"Harry James Potter," he spoke, and was pulled away in a flash. He had expected to re-appear in his small bedroom, but instead he found himself enveloped in darkness. He could see nothing, not even his own hand. Feeling for his wand, he attempted to cast light, but while he felt the slight pull up his arm and into his chest that usually followed a successful casting, there was no light. "Hello?" Harry said into the darkness, hearing a faint echo. Suddenly, a light appeared to his left and he tensed and brandished his wand, only to find himself only a few meters from his mother, alive and perfectly healthy, standing right before him. The teen's eyes widened and he almost tripped over his own feet as another light came from his right, and then another from behind him. In only a few moments, the seemingly endless space was filled with all the people he had come to care about. His parents were the closest to him, and appeared exactly as they had, all those years ago, in the Mirror of Erised. Tears began to fall from Harry's eyes as he watched the people around him smile genially at him, as if they had expected to see him.

"You're not... really here, are you?" Harry asked his mother, or at least, he thought bitterly, what looked like his mother. As he finished his words, his arm began to move of its own accord, and a green spell shot out, hitting a young and healthy Lily Evans in her face, throwing her to the ground. Harry began to scream in rage and anguish as his wand killed everyone he had ever known, methodically. Fight as he did, he could do nothing to stop himself, and finally as he stood in a field full of still dead bodies, he knew that this was a hell designed only for him. He closed his eyes and willed his wand to do what it had done so well just once more, and suddenly his eyes opened once more, and he bucked out of his bed in the Gryffindor 6th year boys' dorm, falling onto the floor and dislocating his shoulder as he fell awkwardly onto the ground.

Inside a mansion in Little Hangleton, on the third floor, in the master bedroom, a pair of eyes opened, and crimson irises expanded around pupils that shrunk to accommodate the early morning light. A pale and bony hand reached out and touched a wand on an ebony night table. Slowly, Tom Riddle Junior rose upright and onto his feet. There were things to be done, after all. His past failures were merely dents in his grand plan. The morning's foray into Harry Potter's mind had proven fruitful, and he had gleefully left him with a parting gift as well. A smile crept onto the Dark Lord's face as he contemplated the coming victories. The old fool was not the only one with complex machinations in place. There were many pawns on the board, and not all of them were white.

A/N: The young Malfoy still has much of a role to play in this story so he'll be making appearances soon, and I'll also be taking a bit of a new direction with this story in that I'll be writing from the POV of the "bad guys". Death Eaters will murder a few people to death, that's for sure, and you'll be privy to the flowery details. To be fair, Mr. Potter's no saint neither.

I'd welcome any offers for beta reading, even from the beginning if you like. We can talk about it.

Next up, Chapter 18: Under New Management


	18. Under New Management

A/N: There's been some confusion as to what actually happened in chapter 17. Allow me to clarify: Voldemort invaded Harry's mind while he was sleeping and forcibly viewed a memory of the Black will reading, and the chapter ended in Harry waking up and falling on the floor. Pretty clear to me. Anyway, here's another chapter done, no romance in this one, but bear with it, it's exciting, I think.

Chapter 18: Under New Management

The first thing Harry felt when he woke was a stiffness in his back that he had always associated with the Hospital Wing. Sure enough, he opened his eyes to a pure white ceiling. As the events of the previous night began to come back to him, he sat up abruptly, and his back cracked painfully.

"Ow, shite, bloody hell," Harry swore as he heard the nurse open her office door. Poppy Pomfrey and Albus Dumbledore shortly stood at the foot of Harry's hospital bed.

"Lie back down, Mr. Potter, your shoulder might still be tender from your encounter with the floor," Pomfrey said with no small amount of irony. Of all things to catch The Chosen One by surprise, she had not expected the floor to be one of them, "_medicus oculis_". A ghostly image of his shoulder's bone and muscle fluttered above him, and the nurse nodded appraisingly. The Headmaster smiled genially as the nurse walked away.

"Harry, if you could enlighten me as to what exactly occurred last night, I might be able to provide you with an explanation." So Harry complied obediently, for now. He recounted exactly how he had seen the will reading, and how he'd taken the portkey in his vision into a field of darkness, and what had happened there. Dumbledore frowned.

"This is… most troubling, Harry. It seems that Tom did not learn his lesson after his attempt to possess you at the Ministry. Perhaps the only solution now would be for you to learn Occlumency," Harry began to ask the obvious question, but the thin old man did not stop speaking. "Occlumency is the art of protecting one's mind from outside influences. It requires much meditation and focus, and, if done correctly, taps into your magic to shield one's mind from attack." Harry considered what had been said for a moment.

"That does sound useful. I could hire a tutor somewhere I suppose, I'm sure I could afford it. They could come to Hogwarts and teach me." Dumbledore didn't seem in agreement with that idea, and laughed briefly.

"No, no, my boy, I already have someone in mind to teach you this skill. Our very own Professor Snape is a master Occlumens, even skilled enough to protect his mind from Tom, I daresay." Harry's face twisted in disgust.

"No! There's absolutely no way I will spend more time with that poor excuse for a man. Snape will teach me nothing, he'll take advantage of me and ridicule me as usual."

"Harry, you must understand-"

"No, YOU must understand! He hates me and he won't even explain why! Snape is-"

"Professor Snape, Harry."

"_Snape_, can't even teach Potions. I refuse to treat him with respect he hasn't earned. And let's not forget, Headmaster, that he's a Death Eater."

"Professor Snape has my full confidence, Harry. He has made many sacrifices you cannot know or understand."

"I CAN know, and I CAN understand. I know a bit about sacrifice, Headmaster. I'm hardly the _boy_ you fancy me to be." Harry looked away and clammed up after this, and Dumbledore sighed, walking quietly away.

At the door, he turned for one last try. "Please, Harry, reconsider your words. It is time for the past to be put behind us. There is much to be learned from Severus." Harry frowned himself.

"Maybe in a courtroom," he said under his breath. When the door shut behind the old man, Harry jumped out of bed and began to walk back and forth, muttering to himself. "Occlumency… Occlumency. Where could I learn that? Who could teach me?" Suddenly, he realized that two Slytherins hadn't visited him in the Wing, and probably didn't even know he was here. "Dobby," the little elf popped into existence somewhere around Harry's knees. "Dobby, could you please tell Daphne and Tracey that I… had a bad dream, but that I'm fine and I'll be seeing them later on?" The elf left shortly after. "Maybe I could buy something that would protect me from mental attacks! There's got to be something like that somewhere in the magical world!" Harry would have to leave Hogwarts, and without the illustrious Headmaster knowing about it.

Twenty minutes later, wearing a black cloak and hood that he had conjured without too much effort, he was touching the knot on the Whomping Willow and making his way through the tunnel that had served him well so many times before. Coming out in the Shrieking Shack, he calls for Dobby again.

"Dobby, please pop me over to Diagon Alley, if you can." A moment and a bit of an uncomfortable feeling later, he stood in the middle of London's magical shopping district. Looking around, he examined the shops, wondering where an enterprising young man could get his hands on a device that would protect his mind. His gaze came to rest on bank, and he thought that he might be able to buy something that would suit him from the goblins. They seemed to be skilled enough in building priceless and bloody useful things. Walking leisurely into the bank, he noticed the goblins soldiers that stood guard inside the front doors tensed up upon seeing him with his hood up and clad in pure black. However, when he lowered his hood, they seemed to relax and fade into the background once again.

"Hello, could I please speak to Shredbone, I'm looking to do some business." The teller hurried off to inform his superior that an Esteemed Client was here.

"Ah, Lord Potter-Black, a pleasure to see you," the goblin said, baring his teeth. "What can the Goblin nation do for you this morning?"

"Well, Under-Chief, I'm looking for something to protect myself from Occlumency attacks, and I thought the goblins might have such a thing for me."

"I presume you mean Legilimency attacks," the goblin asked and Harry nodded, assuming he knew what he was talking about. "We don't have anything that would fit your needs, but for a… nominal fee, I could have a team put together to research the possibilities, and then with your permission, build it if it can be built, providing of course that you can supply the necessary funds." Harry considered it, but thought that it sounded like too much of a wait for such an urgent problem.

"I think… that that might take too long, Under-Chief. I don't doubt the abilities of the goblins, but my issue is immediate and needs to be addressed today before I leave the Alley. Would it be possible for me to search through my vaults? Perhaps start with the Black family vault." Harry was led into the chamber where the train carts began their perilous journey down toward the vault level of the bank. After an exciting ride, he got off feeling refreshed and heady, and was quickly left alone at the entrance to his vault, the stone doors of which were already scraping open to admit him. A translucent blue field covered the doorway, and Harry hesitantly stepped through it, hoping it wouldn't melt him or some other horrible punishment. Nothing happened, though, and Harry began to walk through a series of large interconnected rooms, each filled with chests upon chests of gold in every shape and size. After about 6 rooms of various riches, he entered a room in which there was no money, but rather a collection of cuirasses, suits of armor, and medieval weapons. A dusty crossbow was mounted on the wall in the corner, and that immediately caught his interest. Just before reaching the weapon, he tripped over an open wooden chest that had been lying in the shadows. Landing stupidly next to it, he saw a suit of armor here, but it looked like it was missing pieces or pieces had fallen off it. It was pure black in color, and didn't seem to shine, but rather was matte, like all the polish had long disappeared. It seemed to be made up of many small black plates of metal, each an angular and unique shape, attached together by impossibly small and finely-crafted hinged mechanisms of some sort. Harry didn't see any way to put it on, as it was all one piece, with no detachable points anywhere. There was half of a chest plate, as well as pieces of the thigh armor hanging off of a nicely designed belt that was made out of the same materials. There was an ornate central piece that would have been the buckle, Harry supposed. Running his fingers over the belt, he accidentally pressed a button that sunk smoothly into the buckle and the suit began to whir and tick. Small blue sparks ran the length of the belt and spread between the plates as they began to move, folding inwards on each other until, with one last snap and quiet clank, the entire metal assembly had disappeared into the belt, somehow.

"Merlin…" Harry whispered. Previously unseen under the armor there was a small piece of leather parchment. Picking it up, careful not to touch the mysterious armor, he began to read.

_With a heavy heart I write this message to any descendant that may come upon this most ingenious suit I have created. I meant it to be the legacy of the Great and Noble Black Family, but I am in my last hours of life, and Merlin save me, I have been unable to finish it. By the time someone finds this, I know that most all of the enchantments I have laid on it will have dispelled. Only the mechanical will remain, aided by magic though it is. Those charms will never fade. _

_Descendant of mine, it is my last hope upon this earth that you will use this suit to make the Black name known on the lips of every wizard on this earth. _

_Use the Black blood._

Folding and tucking the note into his pocket, Harry daringly picked up the belt, which was much heavier than it initially appeared. Putting it back into the chest it was in, he closed the lid and shrunk it, placing it safely in the pocket of his pants for later. He walked out of the vault, bewildered and deep in thought. Barely noticing the cart ride back to the surface level, he tried to fathom the possibilities of using such a suit, and how he could make changes to it that would suit him. He had no knowledge of enchantments past the most basic of locking wards. He slipped his hood back on as he exited the bank, and immediately headed for Flourish and Blotts, hoping to find a few books on Occlumency and maybe armor enchantments as well.

He soon found that the book store was quite busy as it usually was, and made his way to the O section. Scanning the shelf quickly, he found _Occlumency: A beginner's Guide_, as well as _Occlumency for the Advanced Practitioner_. Satisfied with these two, he began to move on to the A section, when he bumped into someone and dropped his books.

"Oh, excuse me, sir," Harry spoke to the rather old gentleman, who stooped over to pick up his books and hand them to him.

"Do not concern yourself, young man. Ah, Occlumency, a most ambitious endeavour," the old man smiled, almost to himself. "May I ask, young master, why you are beginning such an undertaking?" Harry was taken aback. The man didn't seem to concern himself with the Boy-Who-Lived.

"I, uh... I need to learn to protect my mind."

"From Tom Riddle Junior?" the old man asked, though he already knew the answer. Harry's eyes narrowed, and suspicion began to brew.

"Who are you? How do you know that name?" His wand slipped into his hand, and he quickly took in his surroundings. Bookshelves on either side, close to the end of the aisle. Cover minimal, no defensible position. His reaction would have to be direct and up front. The strange man's eyebrows rose slightly, and he smiled.

"Do you mean to attack me, Harry Potter?"

"The thought crossed my mind. How did you hear the name?"

"I read it on a plaque. No more shall be said on the matter. I will, however, say that I have no intention of attacking you. As to who I am, well, it will suffice to say that my name is not to be spoken." Harry frowned. Not to be spoken? He was not feeling reassured. Despite that, seeing that the man was not making any motion to harm him, but rather gazing at the spines of the books in front of him, he slid his wand back into its resting place, and turned to look at the books as well.

"Not to be spoken? Are you here illegally?" The man chuckled.

"Is it... against the law for me to be here? No, I would daresay it is not. Laws are not something I concern myself with, generally." Harry was getting tired of the cryptic answers, and sighed to himself. As he reached for his second book on Occlumency, the old man's hand moved blisteringly fast and snapped the book back into its slot. It continued to rest there as the man swivelled his head to face Harry.

"You are a catalyst, Harry Potter. You will have more than one path before you. It will be your choice, as it always has been." Harry frowned, few things had ever been his choice. "Should you find yourself wanting to effect a change, shall we say, simply return here." The man nodded at the much younger man, and turned to walk away.

"Wait! Who are you?"

"No one, Harry Potter, no one at all," he shrugged his shoulders, and turned the corner. When Harry rushed over, the man was gone, no trace of his ever being there. Harry looked around, but no one else in the book store seemed to have noticed any of what had transpired. Shrugging, he decided to leave the second book on Occlumency and paid for his selection. As Harry walked out of Flourish & Blotts, he looked over to the entrance to Knockturn Alley, thinking that maybe there was a more... under the table solution to his brain problem. Pulling his hood on, he walked to the line where the underworld clearly started. Even the cobblestone seemed to be warped and gnarled under his feet as he walked past various stores and buildings. Many of them didn't even have signs. Wizards and witches littered the entrance-ways of the buildings and the side streets. There were women wearing skimpy Victorian outfits that Harry would've enjoyed, but most of their faces were... less than satisfactory. Finally spotting a building with a rickety sign waving around beside the front door marked "PUBLIC HOUSE", he stepped inside and looked around. The whole place was dusty like no one inside had ever learned a cleaning charm. Not unlikely. The barman didn't even look up, a habit that a lot of barmen had picked up, Harry noted. He walked over to the bar, memorizing the positions of the few people inside.

"Afternoon. I'm looking for something." The man looked up from the wooden bar, and Harry was startled by his striking yellow eyes.

"Aren't we all." The barman said, after a long and wheezing breath.

"I... I want to buy something to protect my mind," Harry spoke quietly, sliding a golden coin across the old and weathered wood. The man slid the coin off the table with one hand, and eyed him.

"So your mind is weak, is it?" The man's wheezing laugh echoed off the dirty windows.

"That's not what I said, and if I were you, I'd be careful who I insult." Harry spoke, hoping to put on the right kind of attitude.

"Hm." The man bared his teeth, and Harry blinked when he saw what looked like fangs. "There's a man who can get you what you need, if... the price is right." He settled back onto his stool, and fixed Harry with a stare that wasn't hard to interpret. With a grimace, he slid three more gold coins over, and the man panted almost like a dog. He nodded in the direction of a large man dressed in black sitting in a corner by himself. A single candle flickered at his table, floating in the air. Harry got up and walked casually over to the stranger. Gathering his wits, he took a breath and began to speak.

"I hear you have what I need." The candle dropped to the table, liquid wax forming a puddle around it. The flame continued to burn, though, as the stranger dropped his hand.

"Are you dirty?" The man looked up at him, and Harry saw strong cheekbones and dark brown eyes, almost black. He took a moment to think. Dirty? Was he dirty? Was he a good person? He thought he was. How could he tell? He had killed when he was eleven, he would kill again. Harry guessed that it came down to feeling. Did he feel dirty?

"I am. Will that be a problem?" The man said nothing, but Harry caught a hint of a smile on his face.

"None at all. There is nothing that will protect your mind." Harry rolled his eyes, disappointed.

"Well, thanks for-"

"I said that there was no thing. There are options, if you have the... balls for it." Harry looked indignant at the idea and the man laughed darkly. "If you have what it takes, there are spells, charms, transfigurations, rituals, many things to make a man into what he needs to be. They all come with a price."

"I'm prepared to pay for your services," Harry said, thinking back to the piles of gold that lay in his vaults.

"The cost, you will find," the man whispered in a silky voice oddly akin to Snape's, "will be much more than gold." Harry stared at the man, who had gone back to levitating the candle on his table with his hand.

"Suppose I'm interested. What do I need to do?"

"For now... nothing. I cannot help you now. Think about it, and when you decide that I'm your best bet for whoever is after your secrets..." the man grinned, "ask for the help at Borgin and Burkes. It'll get back to me." Harry could get the man to say no more, so he exited the pub and walked back to Diagon Alley.

After a short trip with Dobby, he found himself pondering his options and walking up the stairs to the seventh floor of Hogwarts. As he turned the corner, the now-familiar door to the Room of Requirement was already beginning to form. As the door closed behind him, Harry slumped into a couch that formed to catch his falling body. Sighing, he closed his eyes, when he suddenly jumped up, remembering the chest he had taken from the Black vault earlier in the day. Pulling it out of his pocket and setting it on a still-materializing table, he expanded it, and cracked it open. The black metal belt was still there, exactly as he had left it, along with the piece of leather he had found that note written on. Putting a hand on it cautiously, he found that it had no reaction. Harry laid it down on the table beside the piece of leather. Use the Black blood, the note had said. The Black blood. Was it a potion? Was he supposed to oil the belt? Or maybe just dip it in? The Black blood, the Black blood... the Black blood!

Harry shook his head. Of course it would be that. Blood was everything back then. He just hoped this idea wouldn't kill him, but he was much too curious to stop now. Harry cast a slight cutting charm on his hand, and a bit of blood dripped down onto what would've been the buckle of the belt, if it had looked as if it could be detached in any way. The blood trickled in between the metal pieces, but nothing happened. No glow, nothing. Harry clicked his tongue. Maybe it needed to be put on for something to happen. It was obviously meant to be worn. Harry picked the belt up, and tried to open the clasp, if it was a clasp at all, he thought to himself. It wouldn't give, no matter how much he pushed and pulled at it. He considered casting an unlocking charm, but this was a Black family heirloom and he didn't think that to be a particularly good idea, even as far as his bad ideas usually go. So he put it on the floor and stepped into it, pulling it roughly to his waist with the hand that was intact.

Taking a deep breath, he put his bloodied left hand on the belt, and it came alive. It left his hands, and soft clanking noises emanated from it as it began to shrink around him. He panicked as it got almost too tight, but it stopped at exactly the right size, as if by magic. He laughed at his own bad joke as the belt began to shake and blue sparks ran along the length of it. The sound of metal grating filled the room as the armor awakened from what must have been a long slumber. It grew and shifted to accommodate his body and stretched to cover every inch of him, clicking and snapping into place. For a second, Harry couldn't breathe as it sprang up around his neck and covered his face. A second later, though, the metal plates shifted again to create holes for his eyes, mouth, and nostrils. The metal expanded to cover him, all the way to his fingers and the tips of his toes - somehow, his clothes seemed to have disappeared from under the suit when he hadn't been paying attention. As all the metal plates settled and stopped whirring, Harry cracked his neck, noticing that the armor, though his hands looked heavily protected, felt light and cool. The inside of the suit felt smooth and seemed to grip his skin. He jumped experimentally and was surprised to find that he could jump just as high as before, the weight of the armor not inhibiting him at all, or maybe the suit was assisting his movements magically. He thought about needing a mirror, and one appeared affixed to the nearest wall, courtesy of the Room. Harry's jaw would've dropped if it hadn't been so firmly contained in his helmet, if you could call it that. The suit looked... good.

"Wow." It was sleek, and fully black. The metal had aligned itself into horizontal patterns going down his sides, and his front was made up of long flat surfaces. His head and face was covered by smooth rounded plates, and the slots for his eyes and mouth were squarish, and looked menacing. This suit was meant for battle. But what kind of battle? Could it stop a curse at close range? How about a sword? A bullet? Who could he trust, Harry wondered, to help him test the abilities of his latest inheritance?

"Dobby!" The little elf popped into existence right in front of him, and immediately his eyes widened. Dobby snapped his fingers and Harry flew back into the wall behind him, and he slid to the floor. Oddly enough, he had felt almost nothing except for the sensation of being thrown back. There had been no blinding pain, and there was no headache.

"Wait Dobby, it's me!" Harry yelled, putting up his arm to shield against what might be coming.

"Dobby knows his master's voice, but it is a trick! Who are you, and where is Harry Potter Sir?" The elf's eyes narrowed and his hands waved, throwing Harry once more into a wall, and this time he began to get upset.

"Enough Dobby! Stop throwing me around!" In response Dobby began to snap his fingers rapidly, and Harry felt the many impacts hit all over his body, but the suit dampened the feeling down to taps on his shoulders. How could he prove who he was? Take off the suit. TAKE OFF THE SUIT! But how? Harry had no idea how to use it. Thinking back, he recalled that when he had first seen it, he had pressed a button in the center of the belt piece and the whole suit had folded away. So he pressed the button as Dobby's elf magic finally threw him into a wall one more time. Landing with a thud, Harry felt the suit fold back into itself as the metal receded from his body, going back into the belt. After the last hinges had folded, the center piece whirred and spun for a brief moment before the slight glow faded away and Dobby was left staring.

"See, Dobby? Just little old me," Harry laughed softly, checking himself over for injuries.

"DOBBY IS SO SORRY, Master Harry Potter Sir, Dobby will punish himself for doing such a bad thing, please forgive-" the little man began to smash his head into the floor "-Dobby-for-his-foolishness!".

"Dobby, stop!" The elf froze mid-swing, his head almost in contact with the floor once more. "It's not your fault, no harm done, actually I'm glad I had this chance to test out what that suit could do. You see I picked it up from the Black family vault and I was just looking for a way to test out what it could protect me with, that's why I called you..." Harry said, scratching his head at the last part.

"Oh... Dobby understands. What does Dobby need to be doing?"

"Well, could you... I don't know, cast some spells at me, maybe Stunners?" At this, the little elf deflated.

"Dobby is sorry, but Dobby cannot be using wizard magic. Elf magic works differently and Dobby is not knowing how to stun with Elf magic. Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter Sir." His eyes began to water, and Harry frowned.

"It's alright Dobby, it's not a big deal. What if... you just levitated some swords and knives at me?" A big pile of various sharp weapons materialized beside Dobby, and he eyed them, frightened.

"But... Dobby does not want to be hurting Harry Potter-"

"You won't, Dobby, don't worry, just do it and you'll see." So Dobby snapped his fingers, and a couple of the swords began to float towards Harry. For his part, he pressed his belt again and the suit built itself around him once more. As his eye slots opened, he felt the swords begin to hit him weakly, bumping his arms and torso.

"Dobby, I want you to really hit me, look at this suit, you can't possibly hurt me." Dobby still looked scared, so Harry sighed. "Dobby, I order you to hit me as hard as you can with all of those blades!" Dobby snapped to attention and his hands waved expansively. At once all the the weapons began to float up into the air, and zoomed at him. Harry tried to stand his ground as the swords and knives assaulted him, slashing at him, stabbing him. Nothing got through, and even though Harry felt them, the suit seemed to oppose the hits with an almost equal amount of force.

"Okay, Dobby, stop!" Everything fell to the floor and Dobby stared at him fearfully. "I'm fine, no need to worry." Harry pressed the belt's button and the suit dropped away into its resting place. "You know what I think, Dobby?" Harry grinned, and Dobby grinned in response, though he didn't know why. "I think this suit could be a lot of fun." Heading back to his dormitory, Harry hummed a tune while wondering about the decisions that needed to be made.

A/N: Well, there's another chapter done. Some new things being introduced into the story, things I've been sitting on for a long time. Not to worry, there will be plenty of romance and shipping, as promised. I'm going to set up a poll on my profile for which path Harry should take. Will he ask for help from the mysterious old man in Flourish & Blotts (the astute ones among you have probably guessed at who, or rather, what he is), or the seedy stranger in Knockturn Alley? It seems like a simple choice of Light vs. Dark, but in this story at least, life is not black and white. It will be gray!Harry regardless of which he chooses.

I ask that you all take a second to vote, it's in your best interest to see the path that you'd enjoy more, after all!

EDIT: POLLS NOT WORKING AT THE MOMENT, you may leave your opinion in a review or a private message. THANKS! If there is in fact a poll on my profile, please use it as well.

R&R!

Next up: Chapter 19: The Achievement of Inner Peace Through Meditation and Diet


	19. The Achievement of Inner Peace

A/N: So the votes came in and it was quite obviously a majority for the man in the book store. I shall write accordingly, even though I personally think the stranger in the pub could've helped Harry out just as well. I have also been informed that I've made a few departures from canon, but rather than going back and fixing them, I've decided that I'm going to continue with the writing in the little free time that I have.

Chapter 19: The Achievement of Inner Peace through Meditation and Diet

Harry sat in the Great Hall at the Gryffindor table in his usual spot, Tracey at his left and Daphne at his right. The usual dirty looks came their way but were met with indifference as always. He had taken to wearing the Black belt everywhere he went, if not because he planned on using it, at least because it made him feel like nothing could touch him. Two days had passed since his field trip to Diagon, and he was itching to take another one. He hadn't told either of the two girls about the people who had offered their help, or about his outing at all. It wasn't so much that he didn't want their input, but rather that he felt that too many things in his life had been decided for him, and since this seemed like a pretty big turning point (or at least he thought it would be), this was something that Harry wanted to make his own judgement on. As he ladled some eggs onto his plate, he weighed the options in his mind. On one hand, the strange old man he had met in Flourish and Blotts had known things that were supposed to be known only to a few people in the world, and, perhaps even more importantly, he seemed to have even more knowledge that he hadn't deigned to share with Harry. Not to mention his impossibly fast hand-eye coordination.

On the other hand, Harry had had enough of the mysterious old man shtick from good old Dumbledore, so instinctually to him it seemed that the criminal-looking type he had met in the pub in Knockturn would be a better choice. His methods would probably be immoral and revolting, but there could be no doubt that there were advantages to using the supposedly dark magic of which it seemed the whole of Wizarding Britain was afraid. However, accepting help from a stranger hanging about in a dusty pub in the middle of the red light district seemed like a classically stupid thing to do. Maybe there was something to be said for second opinions. "Hey, I've got a question for you two." The girls looked up from their lunches, interest clear on their faces. "If, hypothetically, I had received two offers of help, and bear with me because this is a stretch," Harry grinned, "and one of them was from an old man you met in a book store, and the other was from a criminal you met in a pub," the girls' eyes narrowed at this, "which one, and I must stress how hypothetical this is, should I pick?" Daphne frowned at the question, and Tracey was laughing under her breath.

"I'm getting this feeling that the situation is not nearly as hypothetical as you've made it out to be, Mr. Potter," Tracey said. "Who are these people you're talking about, and when did you meet them?"

"Tracey, Tracey, Tracey. It wouldn't be sensible to leave the school grounds in times like these, would it? Can you really stand there and insult my intelligence like that?" Tracey's eyes lit up and she began to laugh outright.

"In fact, I am sitting here, and I most certainly can insult your intelligence if you haven't been taking advantage of the two highly qualified Slytherins that you have at your disposal!" At this, Harry smirked. He knew an opportunity for Sirius business when he saw one.

"So let me understand this correctly. You're saying, and I quote, that _you_," Harry said, looking directly at Tracey, "and _Daphne_," he continued, turning to face Daphne briefly, "are… at my _disposal_?" Daphne blushed slightly at the implication, and Tracey's eyes widened. "And furthermore you are implying that I should be, how did you put it… taking _advantage_ of the two girls at my disposal?" Daphne let her head drop onto the table as Tracey sported a toothy grin. "I can't argue with that, I should be taking advantage of you at every opportunity," Harry finished, and leaned over to take a deep breath of Tracey's distinct scent. In return she shoved his shoulder and shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe you should," she said, turning back to her food. Daphne had sat back up and was eating quietly. Harry noticed this and rubbed her back consolingly.

"I wouldn't worry too much, Miss Greengrass," he said leaning in to whisper in her ear, "I'm sure you'll get what's coming to you." He smiled and kissed her on the cheek, and she blushed horribly, but didn't budge, continuing to eat her food as though nothing had happened.

"So really, Harry, who are these people you have to choose between?" Daphne asked, trying not to think about his previous words.

"If I was going to admit to these people not being as hypothetical as I made them seem, I would say that they were people I met and that they offered to help, in their own ways, and that I'm trying to make a choice between them."

"How do you know they're not just going to kidnap you and bring you to Riddle?" Daphne asked, and Tracey nodded.

"Or just kill you when your back is turned?" Tracey was always the more cynical of the two, though not by much.

"Well, I don't really. The man in the pub doesn't know who I am, though… the man from the bookstore knew who I was right away, even though it was impossible to see my face."

"That must mean he was either watching you, or he had some other way of detecting your magical signature," Daphne theorized.

"As far as I've read, tracking a magical signature is not something you just _do_, it takes finesse and preparation." Harry's eyes narrowed as he tried to recall every detail of his encounter with the man.

"Then maybe it wasn't as accidental a meeting as I thought. You think he could've been waiting for me? Hypothetically I mean."

Daphne grimaced at the running joke. "Harry, we all know this isn't hypothetical, so you can just drop it and tell us what's going on." Harry looked determined, however.

"Listen, I know you both are just trying to help, but until I have something real to tell you, I'd rather not take shots in the dark." Harry fingered with the Black belt as he mulled his options over in his head.

"Fine, come see me when you think I deserve to know what's going on." Daphne stood up angrily and walked out of the Great Hall. Tracey flinched as Harry stood up abruptly, fire in his eyes and anger on his face. She tried to call out to him as he made his way briskly to the doors of the hall, but he paid her no mind. Letting the door shut behind him, Harry pulled out the Marauders' Map and opened it quickly, not taking his usual delight in seeing the signatures of his father and his friends. He saw her moving moderately fast towards the dungeons. He began to jog toward an alternate route he saw on the map, and as he neared it a small note appeared on the map with a pattern to tap on the stones on the wall, which he executed quickly and stepped into a passageway. In a full out run now he traveled through the dark. The passage opened for him as he got close to the exit, and he saw the last corner before the Slytherin common room, incidentally the same corner where he had had his most serious duel with Malfoy to date. Checking the map once again, Harry saw that he had time to catch his breath, so he leaned against the wall, deciding to try and calm down a little before he said something he'd regret and couldn't take back. She turned the corner just as he felt his breathing and heartbeat return to normal. She almost tripped over herself as she noticed him standing quietly, and stopped a few feet away from him.

"Hey," Harry said, looking at her a bit warily.

"Are you here to give me more hints about something I'm not allowed to know?" she asked him angrily, the skin between on her forehead bunching up in what would've been a cute way if he hadn't been getting angrier with every word.

"Maybe you haven't realized, but there are more important things I have to deal with than what you want to know, Daphne!" She looked shocked.

"Oh, so, what, now I'm just a silly twit who doesn't know her arse from her head? Is that it? Daphne Greengrass just not _mature_ enough to understand the Great Harry Potter's problems?" she spat at him. Harry got nose-to-nose with her as he heard what she had said, something Daphne was already regretting.

"You have a life ahead of you, I DON'T. What does the Great Harry Potter have? _Nothing_! Nothing except money." Harry clenched his jaw and shook his head. He shouldn't have yelled at her, for that matter, he shouldn't even have followed her at all. Daphne's eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she worked through what he had said, but it was too late to ask any questions, and Harry had already turned and walked away. She heard the crack of apparition as his house elf no doubt took him to wherever he was going.

Harry cracked into existence across the street from the shady pub that he had met the man that had offered to help him for a price. Pulling his hood up, he crossed and entered, looking around as the bell rang to announce his entrance. The bartender didn't even look up, but the man Harry was looking for did, as it happened. Harry walked over to the table.

"I'm ready, let's go. Money doesn't matter, but understand that I'll be getting my money's worth." The man smiled crookedly and nodded his head.

"What do I look like, a crook? Let's get out of here and talk terms in the side alley." Harry followed the man out a side door he had never noticed before, and they ended up in the alley beside the pub. As the man was closing the door and casting a few privacy charms, Harry peered down the alley, making sure there was no one around. Just as he thought he noticed a man standing at the far end of the alley, a shoe scuffed the floor behind him, and Harry's eyes widened. He ducked and rolled onto the ground, flicking his wrist and sending his wand shooting into his hand. Rolling onto his back, he saw the man he had exited the pub with about halfway through an incantation that he didn't recognize, so he rolled out of the way as the ground he had been previously lying on was hit by a yellow light. There had in fact been a man hiding at the other end of the lane and he had made his way into the fray, casting what were probably Stunners all around Harry, trying to limit his movement. Harry punched the first man in the nose, and judging by the blood on his knuckles and the pained yell, he had hit home. A quick Ripping curse left the man on the floor. The second man got him from behind with enchanted ropes, but before they had a chance to do their work, Harry spun around and began to cast.

"_Testa ferri_!" Thick pieces of metal shot out and the attacker was pinned to the wooden wall behind him, the metal having sunk in deeply. Blood coursed out of his wounds, and Harry doubted that he had more than a minute or two to live. Getting close to the man, he decided that each potential question was precious. "Why did you attack me?"

"H-h-h-he said you had m-m-money, I need money."

"So you don't know who I am, you were just mugging me?" The man nodded, clearly by now knowing he was nearing the end of his life. Harry found himself pitying the man. Maybe he had a family to feed, or maybe he had nothing to eat. The man began to cough and blood poured down his neck from his mouth.

"Please, just… Just finish me, I don't want to feel anymore," the man said. Harry grimaced, but he knew he shouldn't just leave this man to suffer. Technically speaking he had been the one to cause him his pain. He prepared himself to cast once again, and took a deep breath, the words at the front of his mind.

"_Avada_," Harry stumbled over the incantation. Even raised by muggles, he understood the implication of this curse. Could he end a life like this? This was murder, but wasn't this man already dead? Harry steeled himself, and reasoned that this could be practice for what he would eventually have to do. "_Avada kedavra!_"

The spell formed at the tip of his wand, and shot into its target. The man began to convulse as if having a seizure. Blood began streaming out of his ears as the vessels in his eyes popped and soon Harry couldn't bear to watch anymore. He waited until he heard no more movement, and then walked out of the alley, hardly understanding what had just occurred. He had thought that the Killing Curse was quick and clean, it hit you and that was it, you were dead. Maybe he wasn't evil enough to cast it properly? No, that couldn't be it, that was Dumbledore thinking.

The young man walked back into Diagon Alley, and stood still for a minute. He took in the view, all the shops, the people walking about looking at the various window displays, not even a little aware that a short distance away two men were surrounded by pools of their own blood. Harry felt sick.

"Well, that was a wash."

A/N: I was going to continue writing in this chapter, but I decided that this was a decent enough place to stop, and start writing the next one. I'm not a huge fan of 10,000 word chapters like some authors are, although my congratulations for simply having so much to write.

Next up: Chapter 20: Drawing Conclusions. Prepare yourselves! Epicness is coming.


	20. Drawing Conclusions

A/N: This is gonna be a good one! I'm psyched to write it. Thanks to the people who already reviewed chapter 19!

Chapter 20: Drawing Conclusions

A young blond man stood in front of a mirror, wearing only a pair of trousers. He admired himself, observing how the past weeks had left their mark on him. He had many scars, the remnants of powerful magic. Those would never fade. On his left arm, the Dark Mark slowly undulated under his skin. It would never fade either, and it was this fact that made Draco Malfoy proud. He had brought even more honor and respect to the Malfoy name, and when it was all over, he would be remembered by generations to come as _the_ Malfoy of Malfoys. Despite the fact that he lived in a tiny room with a cot and a trunk in it, Draco knew that one day soon all of his suffering would pay off and he would take his revenge. After all, he had been trained by the Dark Lord. Who could stop him now? "I'm coming for you," he said to his conjured mirror, fingering his wand.

Hundreds of miles away, another young man stood in front of a book store, already feeling tired and overwhelmed by the day's events. Sighing, he reached for the door.

"Can't possibly go any worse," he said under his breath as he weaved between the witches and wizards shopping for books. Arriving at the same spot he had been the last time, Harry looked around. The old man was nowhere to be seen. He turned on the spot, making sure he didn't somehow miss him in a corner somewhere, and when he faced the bookshelf again, he found himself nose-to-nose with the very person he was looking to find.

"_Shite_," Harry jumped back and swore. "How did you do that?" The man gave no indication that he had heard him.

"Ah, Harry Potter, what an indescribable pleasure to see you here again. You are here to effect a change, I see. If you would please locate on the shelf a book entitled _Olfactory Overtures_, we will be on our way." Harry saw the book on the shelf and pulled it off. As soon as the book left the shelf, the wood began to creak and contort, and the books flipped every which way as an entranceway formed out of wood and paper. The man looked serene as he walked calmly through, disappearing into a thick wall of… blackness. Harry looked around. No one had even noticed the appearance of a strangely-constructed archway in the middle of the store. However, upon turning around, he saw a middle-aged witch walking directly toward the archway. She reached the edge of it, and stood still, her eyes glazed over. Eventually she reached into her robes, checked a parchment over, and shook her head.

"These are not the books I'm looking for," she mumbled to herself as she turned around and walked back in the direction she had come from. Harry stared at her retreating back. She really hadn't noticed anything? Nothing at all?

So this was it. This could be the game-changer for Harry. The one chance he'd ever have to… well, do something for himself. Something real that might change his life forever.

"The _Great Harry Potter_…" Harry said under his breath, recalling his dark-haired friend's words earlier in the day. It seemed so far away now, but he knew that she was waiting for him at Hogwarts. He promised himself to reconcile with her if he came out of the rabbit-hole he was about to step into. So with a deep breath, he took the first stride, and felt himself pass through what felt like a waterfall, but left no water anywhere on him.

Opening his eyes, he looked around and found himself in a small room made completely out of white marble. There was a simple wooden door across from where he was standing. It was so simple, in fact, that it didn't even have a handle or hinges, it was just a piece of wood in a door frame, really. There was a wooden chair in front of him facing the door. Hearing the sound of rustling paper, he turned around and saw a bookcase identical to the one he had 'passed through' at Flourish and Blotts, but the books on this one had no titles. There was nothing written on their spines. Not willing to even go near the door or chair yet, he reached for one of the books. Opening it to a random page, he saw that nothing was printed inside it, all the pages were blank.

"The lightest reading you have ever done, is it not, Harry Potter?" Harry jumped about a foot in the air, having not heard any noise from behind him, and twisted around, dropping the book onto the floor. The same man stood in front of him, hands clasped lightly in front of him, except that now he was wearing a simple black robe.

"Where am I?" Harry asked, rather more harshly than he had intended, since he was still startled at the man's sudden appearance. The other occupant of the room took no notice, however.

"That depends entirely on where you want to be." The man stared at a point above Harry's head as the perplexed green-eyed young man tried to come up with a decent answer.

"I want to be in a place where I can learn what I need to learn."

"Then that is exactly where you are."

"What if I had said something different?"

"Then, Harry Potter, you would be somewhere different." Harry frowned, getting a straight answer from this old man was even more difficult to do than with Dumbledore.

"Alright then… So what are we doing here?"

"I am waiting. You are delaying the inevitable." Harry blinked.

"The inevitable? What's inevitable?"

"The future is inevitable, most certainly." Harry was already becoming frustrated, this was getting him nowhere.

"So what's in our future?" The man smiled widely.

"We shall find out momentarily," he said genially, as if sharing a wonderful piece of news. They both stood there, Harry staring at him, and the man staring at a corner of the room, when suddenly, his head shot up. "Ah! The future, Harry Potter, has arrived." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but this has all been a load of bollocks so far, and the other person who offered to help me today wasn't actually much help either, so I think I'll go now. Thanks for… thanks." The man nodded as if nothing was the matter.

"I require no thanks, Harry Potter, for I have done nothing," at this, Harry snorted in annoyance.

"So… am I free to go?"

"Indeed, indeed." Harry looked around once more.

"Uh, how exactly do I do that?"

"How does anyone ever leave?"

"Well, I'd use the door but it's… not working at the moment, I think." The man blinked.

"What has led you to that conclusion?" Harry resisted the urge to yell at the infuriating man.

"Well there's no handle! Or hinges, even! I'm not sure if you noticed that on the way in."

"In fact I did not, how curious."

"Sir, could you please tell me how to leave this room?"

"I could. There are many ways. You may choose the most suitable one."

"How did you get in?"

"How does anyone ever get in?"

"Brilliant, just _brilliant_." Harry shook his head and stopped asking questions, and began to look around. The bookshelf, the chair, the useless door, none of these could provide him with a way out of the room. Perhaps he could blast the door away and simply walk out.

"What's on the other side of this door?" The man gave a tiny smile.

"The rest of the world." Perhaps destroying it wouldn't be the best idea, Harry thought. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to transfigure or conjure door hinges, or handles for that matter. So that was out. He couldn't apparate, or make a portkey, and besides Harry doubted that either would even work, wherever he was. Maybe there was a hidden switch or button he could press. He got closer to the door and began to feel up and down the sides of the frame, looking for any hidden devices. Reaching the bottom, he found nothing. Straightening out, he thought, what the hell, maybe just pushing on the door would do the trick. His hand went to touch the wood, but went right through. It was an illusion!

"Bloody hell, that was a waste of time," he said as he passed through the illusion and came out in a long hallway that ran to his left. On the wall opposite him there was a large engraving that read "_P__luralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate._"

"Sometimes, as in this case, the simplest solution is best. Ah, one of the forgotten principles of magic." The man said, almost to himself.

"What does it mean?" Harry asked, genuinely curious.

"It is pointless to do with more what can be done with less." Harry nodded, annoyed with himself as much as with the strange old man.

"All I had to do was… walk through the door. How does anyone ever get in?" He shook his head once more. The man said nothing in response to Harry's belated revelation.

Turning left, Harry saw many other doors on both sides of the hallway, which eventually opened into a larger room, but how large or what was in it, he couldn't make out.

"What's down there?" The man's face became more serious.

"The answer to every question." Harry stared down the hall. It didn't seem like a big enough place for that kind of thing.

"So that's where I need to be, then, to learn?"

"One can learn anywhere, Harry Potter. There is advantage to be found everywhere."

"I get this feeling that there's a particularly big amount of advantage that way." Harry took a step forward, but the old man's arm shot out as quickly as it had in the book store.

"In life, one may go forwards, and sideways, but never backward." Harry took this to mean that once he went down this path, there was no going back.

"What is the price of going forwards now?" The man lowered his arm, and spoke quietly but surely.

"The eternal vigilance is the price of freedom." Freedom, Harry thought? Eternal vigilance? Living the life that he had so far, he doubted that he could avoid being eternally vigilant anyway, so it seemed a fair trade to him. He took a step forward, and another, and the man didn't stop him. He heard nothing but Harry knew that he was following behind him. Passing all the unmarked doors with no handles, he came out into a large circular room with a high domed ceiling. There were no sources of light anywhere, but the entire place seemed to be brightly lit, in the same way as the Room of Requirement always was. Coming to a stop in the middle, he noticed that there were similar hallways in three other directions, all perfectly perpendicular to each other. Turning around, he saw the man standing tall in front of him, hands clasped behind him now.

"You have chosen your path, Harry Potter. You will face adversity on this path. Adversity, as you will find, introduces a man to himself. The only question that remains for you is, do you want to know who you really are?"

Who he really was. Was Harry ready to see himself in a different light? He had a feeling whatever _adversity_ awaited him would leave him bleeding, tired, and confused, as it usually did. So naturally, he began to nod.

"Yes. Show me." The man shook his head, a gesture Harry was seeing him perform for the first time.

"I will show you nothing. Rather you will show me." Without another word, the man stepped back and spread his hands wide at his side. The marble beneath his feet rippled like water a few times, and then quite literally poured upwards towards his open hands. Almost lazily the man twisted his hands and the molten stone, if Harry could even call it that, rushed toward him. He jumped back and pulled out his wand.

"_Scutum corporis!_" A physical shield sprang up in front of Harry, and immediately the marble met it and flowed over it, reaching the edge of the shield and rushing over it. Quickly Harry did an inventory of the transfiguration Hogwarts had taught him, and found nothing that would help against such a large amount of stone. In that case, all that was left was some blasting.

"_Confringo!_" The marble exploded outwards, but it wasn't nearly enough. Harry repeated the spell over and over, but anywhere he made a dent, more stone would rise up and take its place. Finally the stone had driven him to the wall, and Harry ducked under the side of the wave and rolled under a tendril of marble. Rising to his feet, he saw the old man in the same position he had been in before, as the stone ground to a halt and stopped moving. For a moment time stood still, as the two observed each other.

"Then, perhaps, something you're familiar with," the man spoke, furrowing his brow. Raising his arms high, he bunched his fists, and a great shattering noise was heard from high above them. Harry looked up and saw that previously unnoticed windows on the sides of the dome had shattered, and lethal pieces of glass were rushing down to meet them. The man threw his arms down and kneeled down with the momentum as Harry weighed his remarkably few options.

"_Incendio_!" Fire rushed out of his wand as he waved it about, trying to cover as much of the air above him as possible. However there was one thing he hadn't taken into account. Glass does not evaporate. It simply melts. Droplets of superheated liquid began to hit the ground as Harry dived to the floor. He yelled out in pain as his robe was assaulted by fire and glass. Rolling to the side, he jumped to the side just as a huge puddle had formed and was slowly seeping toward where he had been lying. As Harry's fire died out and the smoke rose to the ceiling, the man waved once more as if conducting an orchestra, and the molten glass rose from the floor, still red-hot, and coalesced into a floating stream, coiling once around the room before heading straight for him. As he prepared to cast a physical shield, the man flicked one of his fingers and Harry's wand hand was hit by a piece of marble, knocking his wand too far away for him to dive for.

Harry Potter was going to die here. Falling against the wall, he did the only thing he could think of and drove his hand into his midsection, hitting the centre button of the Black belt. Immediately the metal clicked and exploded out onto his person, perhaps sensing the urgency of the situation and dispensing with the theatricality of unfurling slowly. The metal covered his face just as the glass slammed into him, pushing him against the wall. It quickly hardened, magically, Harry suspected, and small slits opened in his helmet for his mouth and nostrils. Handy feature. The little vision he had at the moment was completely obstructed by glass, and giving a small twitch of his extremities, he found that he was immobilized. Thinking back to his session with Dobby, however, Harry prepared himself to break out of his glass prison. Flexing his muscles a few times, he grunted as he tried to break the glass. Eventually he reached a point where most likely the armor knew his muscles could do no more, and it obliged him splendidly. The glass cracked, then shattered outwards as Harry stumbled out of it and back into the centre of the room.

"What a fortuitous coincidence that you are wearing such a fascinating contraption, Harry Potter." As he spoke, marble spikes rose out of the floor beside him. All at once they shot straight at Harry, who instinctively raised his arms up to defend his head, but the stone hit his torso, knocking him back into the wall, something he'd almost become used to by now. There was no pain, however, as the stone spikes continued to flow out of the ground and hammer him. The metal encasing him shook powerfully, as Harry thanked his inherited Black heritage.

The spikes had slowly been trapping him against the wall, he realized a smidgen too late, as the old man levitated quite a large piece of marble a few meters above him. Their eyes met for a moment, and then the man dropped his arms and stone fell.

The last thing Harry saw was the white marble rushing up to meet his face. Obviously everyone was out to kill him today.

Then he knew no more.

A/N: Slight cliff-hanger there, nothing to fret over. :D

Also, has anyone caught the few Alice in Wonderland references? Just a bit of messing about. Maybe a pinch of Star Wars too?

R&R please!

Next: Chapter 21: We're All Mad Here


	21. We're All Mad Here

A/N: Man I'm just on a roll lately! But Monday is coming soon and I'll be busy again most likely. Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter 21: We're All Mad Here

"Daphne?" Tracey called out as she entered the Slytherin 6th year girls' dormitory. Daphne looked up from her bed and sniffed.

"Yeah?" She didn't want to talk to Tracey, she didn't know if she should tell her what Harry had said.

"What happened, Daph? Where's Harry?"

"He left, he was really angry."

"Well… did he say anything?" Daphne sighed, making up her mind. Tracey was Harry's friend, she deserved to know too.

"Yeah, he said he has more important things to deal with, and that he has… nothing. I don't rightly know what he meant by any of it." Tracey frowned, that didn't sound much like the Harry she knew.

"Maybe when he comes back we should sit down with him and talk honestly, and calmly." Tracey smirked and Daphne groaned, letting her face drop into her pillow.

"_If_ he comes back. I was awful to him, Trace. I need to learn to keep my mouth shut more often."

"I think the decision is unanimous then," the blonde nodded, smiling. But her smile faded slowly. "What do you think he meant?"

"I don't know, but he seemed really serious, and sad, like he really felt sorry for himself."

"Well with all the stuff that's happened to him over the years, he's not wrong. And we probably don't even know the whole truth about everything." Daphne nodded, more to herself. "How about I talk to him first, then you can come and grovel for forgiveness? I'm sure he'll be back by dinner." Daphne couldn't decide if she should laugh or cry.

"Yeah, better that way."

"_Alohamora,_" the young Malfoy cast, pointing his wand at the door of the dilapidated shack on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. "Blasted thing is charmed shut. _Lateque silentium_," Draco cast once more, the slight buzz of an area effect silencing charm settling onto the area around him. "_Reducto!_" The door splintered and flew into the interior of the rickety building. The Dark Lord had taught him much, but stealth wasn't on the curriculum. Once inside, Draco could see huge gashes in the walls and a few completely destroyed items of furniture.

"Bloody hell. _Lumos._" Looking around the room, Draco saw only one possibility for the entrance to the tunnel that Snape had told him would be here. Really he was surprised that this place wasn't better defended. Then again, it wasn't really an ideal staging area for an invasion. Approaching the trap door in the corner of the room, he kneeled down to get a better look. "_Lux in limine_," Draco intoned, and the trapdoor began to glow as the wards surrounding it were revealed.

"_Infundibuliformibus,_" Draco spoke as clearly as possible, and the spell took hold, funnelling power away from the ward, directly using Draco's magic. It was a very costly and inefficient way to break a ward, but the blond was short on both time and skill, so it would have to do. Provided he didn't faint.

The ward buckled and faded away, and Draco fell back onto the floor, catching his breath. Pulling himself to his feet, he picked up his dropped wand and opened the trapdoor, jumping down into the tunnel below.

"Merlin, what is that smell?" He covered his nose with his sleeve as he progressed down the tunnel, wand lit and held in front of him. The tunnel continued even farther, and Draco guessed that by now he was surely under the Hogwarts grounds somewhere, maybe under the Lake. Turning a last corner, he saw the tunnel leading up, and another trapdoor. Casting the ward detection charm once again, he saw no protections on the way out, so he creaked open the door above him, slowly. A much louder creaking was coming from above the door, and Draco wasn't at all sure he wanted to find out what it was. Upon opening the door the rest of the way, he found himself staring at the Whomping Willow. Suddenly the tree's branches spun around and came to rest above him. Draco winced, almost knowing what was about to happen.

As he grabbed a hold of the edge of the passage, one of the branches slammed into the ground close to him. He scrambled to his feet and took off, sprinting flat-out. He may be a Death Eater personally trained by the Dark Lord Voldemort himself, but that didn't mean he couldn't be crushed by a ton of wood. As he stumbled under a covered walkway, he slowed to a halt, smiling to himself. He was back. And now, the real work began.

The first thing Harry noticed was that he wasn't dead. The second was that, unless he happened to be encased in some other metal, he was still wearing the Black suit. Upon attempting to open his eyes, he found that the face of his helmet was solid and opaque, but that was quickly remedied as a flap slid downward and suddenly he had a solid field of vision. White marble. It hadn't been a dream, at least. The day's events were as real as the headache he knew he would have as soon as he got some proper answers. He sat up, and the armor creaked slightly. A previously unnoticed door opened (why did this one have a handle?), and the same man as before came out, wearing his usual genial smile.

"You are awake." Harry nodded. "And now you are looking for answers." Another nod. "Fear not, answers are everywhere." This time, the man received no nod in return, but he remained completely unfazed. "You performed admirably earlier, and as a preliminary examination of your skills, I am satisfied. However, I must tell you that if an agreement is not reached, you will have no memory of this place. Or anything that has occurred concerning this series of events."

"An agreement about what?"

"Marvelous, you are getting curiouser and curiouser!" The man clapped like a child, nodding his head. "An agreement, Harry Potter, about the work you will be doing for us."

"Work? I didn't come here to work for you, I came here to learn things I can't learn anywhere else so that I can-" Harry didn't know if he should continue.

"Ah, yes, of course, you wish to receive knowledge and training and give nothing in return. Sadly, that is in the next room to our left." Harry felt as though he was being mocked, but the man's expression did not change at all. "In this room what you need carries with it a price."

"How much will it cost me?"

"You are referring to currency. Harry Potter, we do not want your money. We want you."

Deciding for the moment to ignore what the man was saying, Harry became curious about the plural. "Who's we?"

"Before I may disclose anything, I must ask you one question more. Do you agree that everything has a price?" Was that true?

"No. What about love?" The man's brow furrowed slightly. Harry was taken aback. He had yet to see this much negative emotion on the man's face.

"Love, Harry Potter, is the most expensive affliction of them all, you will surely find. Yes, if the rumour should be trusted, indeed you will find this to be true. I will ask again. Do you agree that everything has a price?" The man clearly wanted one answer, and one answer only. Harry had not come all this way to be turned away. So he could do nothing but oblige him.

"Yes, I do."

"Remember your words here today, Harry Potter. Now it is time to begin giving you what you seek… My name is Xavier."

"Is that your real name, or a cover?"

"A name, once given, is real by definition. We find ourselves now inside the operations center of the Department of Mysteries." Harry's eyes widened. That would make this man…

"I am an Unspeakable. You have already guessed, I see."

"What… what do the Unspeakables want with me?"

"We want you, Harry Potter. We know that you are in search of knowledge and the power to do what you believe is right. We are prepared to offer you all you search for." Harry was glad those muggers in Knockturn hadn't gotten him, this was turning out to be a very good day after all.

"However, only an Unspeakable may access our consolidated knowledge."

"So if I want to learn, I have to… join you?" Perhaps not such a good day.

"There is advantage to learning in any particular place. All I can offer you is the advantage that can be found here." Harry waited for him to go on. "You will die before you disclose our secrets. You will ensure the continuing safety of our institution and its members through any means at your disposal. You will learn from us, you will learn with us, and you will teach us. You will reach as far into the heart of magic as your arms allow you." Xavier stood silently now, perhaps waiting for Harry to say something.

"I… will. I will." Xavier nodded, possibly for the first time ever.

"Naturally. You have much to learn. Come." The man walked briskly out the door, and Harry struggled to get off the bed he had been on. He had gotten one leg over the side when suddenly his legs gave out and he found himself on the floor, much in the same position he had been when we woke up.

"Bloody hell," the young man cursed, and wearily pushed the button on his belt, making the armor retract quickly into its resting place. He finally managed to get to his feet just as the last clicks and whirs were heard from his midsection. The door had no handle, once again. This time however, Harry was not fooled and set himself a good pace as he approached the door headfirst. As his face made contact with the door, he realized that perhaps the Unspeakables' door system was not as simple as it appeared.

Xavier, probably having heard the sound that Harry's face had made against the wood, stepped back into the room. "Ah, my apologies, this room was set not to allow you to leave in case we did not come to an agreement." Harry snorted. How convenient of the old man to forget something like that and walk into a door. He couldn't help but feel as though he was the butt of an age-old joke. "You are the one thousand four hundred and thirty third person to make close acquaintance with that door. The magical world is _full_ of mystery." The old man smiled his usual smile straight ahead as Harry glowered and walked past him back into the hall.

"So, what happens now… Xavier? Will I meet your leader and receive an assignment?" Xavier gave a very quiet laugh, surprising Harry.

"Very few ever meet the Grand Master. We receive our directives on magically written parchment in the room adjacent to the Grand Vault."

"The Grand Vault? What do you keep in there?"

"The Grand Master, naturally." Harry blinked.

"The leader of the Unspeakables lives in a vault?! Why?" Xavier shrugged, almost expressively for him.

"There are few things the Unspeakables do not question. The Grand Master is one of them. He does, as he does."

"How does he eat? Or survive?"

"I know nothing of what he does inside the vault, but I know that since I joined this institution, the Grand Master has never vacated the Grand Vault. Although it is not our place as seekers of truth to speculate, I would venture that the Grand Master is able to survive through the ambient magic flowing in and out of this structure." Harry stared off to the side, contemplating the possibility of doing that. That was exactly what Voldemort wanted, immortality. If he only knew that the Grand Master of the Unspeakables lived only off of the magic surrounding him, he would most probably stop at nothing to duplicate such results.

"I see you understand already how important your silence is in Unspeakable matters." Harry nodded, silently agreeing. "Traditionally when a new member joins our ranks, his superiors acquaint themselves with him and he is given a chance to meet his colleagues. New members are also subjected to tests of many kinds. However, because of the unusual circumstances under which you have come to be here today, it has been decided that your initiation will not be traditional." Xavier looked off into the distance. "In place of preliminary testing, you will prove yourself."

Harry's eyes narrowed in concern. "How will I do that?"

"That is entirely at your discretion, Harry Potter. However, I can tell you that you will be given an assignment to complete, after which you will begin to receive some of the answers you seek. You will receive through inconspicuous means a parcel containing some objects that you may put to use, depending on how you opt to carry out your task."

"What kind of objects?" Harry wasn't sure at all that he liked the sound of these tasks. Their _tests_ were beginning to sound like the Tri-Wizard Tournament or something similar.

"I do not know, I will not be assembling your parcel. My function is to act as a gatekeeper as well as a teacher. Decisions are not mine to make, only to pass on." Out of a pocket, Xavier pulled a small metal ring that gave off a soft red glow, and offered it to Harry. "This will take you back to Hogwarts, Harry Potter."

"But I thought it was impossible to portkey into Hogwarts!" Xavier smiled.

"Every door has a key," the old man answered in his usual infuriating manner. "Be warned, Harry Potter. Your trials will not be easy. From the moment you agreed to become an Unspeakable, your moral compass ceased to indicate true North. Take heed." As Xavier finished issuing his cryptic warning, the younger man saw the colour of the metal ring change from red to yellow, and finally to green as he felt the usual pull of a portkey.

Tracey Davis normally considered herself to be a relatively relaxed and disinterested individual, but this was not turning out to be one of the days that she could consider a success on the personality front. For over two hours she had been waiting around the corner from the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, watching the comings and goings of students as she waited for one particular one to show up. She had been preparing herself to give up and go to bed as she heard a quick but confident walk that she thought might belong to the green-eyed young man she was waiting on. Looking around the corner, she didn't see anyone in the hallway.

"Harry?" She half-whispered, hoping she wasn't going mad and someone had really been walking around there somewhere. Suddenly Harry Potter appeared out of thin air as if stepping out of an… invisibility cloak! "Where did you _get_ one of those?"

"It was my dad's, Tracey. What are you doing here?"

"Well obviously I was waiting for you, what do you think, that I enjoy standing around here risking getting caught out past curfew?" Harry grinned despite himself.

"Never stopped me before," he chuckled quietly.

"I came to see you because… because I was worried about you. And because Daphne is too. And she's sorry about what she said." Harry's face darkened.

"And now, you're here to get the truth out of me about what I said. And maybe after that Daphne will come and apologize. Right?" Tracey considered denying what he had said, but ended up nodding slowly after meeting Harry's eyes. "Well she can forget about it. I'm not going to say anything to you if you're just going to run back to her and give her the report." Tracey's eyes widened angrily.

"Now look Harry, just because she said something in anger, doesn't mean she doesn't care about you! And for that matter, just because I'm here on behalf of Daphne doesn't mean I don't care about you, either! So if you could just step off your high horse and say something real instead of making up excuses to argue, maybe we could make peace and be better off for it!" Tracey huffed, folding her arms. Harry fought a laugh, but eventually it escaped him. Tracey looked affronted at the idea that he was laughing at her.

"I'm sorry but, you were just so adorable right there, I could kiss you." Tracey frowned, she hadn't come here for their usual flirting. Noticing her expression, Harry quickly calmed down. "Alright, Tracey, I'll answer your questions as best as I can, but you should know that I can't exactly answer everything, there are some things I just can't talk about. And I have a condition before I say anything."

Tracey raised an eyebrow, her arms still folded. "Oh?"

"You have to agree not to tell Daphne anything I say, and let me decide what to tell her and when." Tracey exhaled sharply. Was that a commitment she was willing to make, in exchange for knowing just what the hell was going on with Harry? Daphne was her best friend, but… on the other hand, the argument could be made that she was helping both her and herself in the long run by finding out more about Harry.

"Fine, I promise." And with that, she drew a deep breath.

A/N: Another chapter down, this one was fun to write as I contemplated the possibilities now that Harry is part of something potentially life-changing for him.

Feel free to include in a review or PM some ideas for what his first few assignments might be, but make sure they are unrelated to Voldemort and such. Don't be afraid to make them morally ambiguous or taxing. The Unspeakables operate above and below the law. Maybe I'll use that line in a chapter sometime. :D

Anyway thanks for reading. R&R!

Next, Chapter 22: Plot is Thicker than Water


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